Jeanine Berry - Scent Of Magic

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Scent of Magic Copyrightã2004 Jeanine Berry ISBN: 1-55410-154-9 Cover art and design by Martine Jardin

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by eXtasy Books, a division of Zumaya Publications, 2004 Look for us online at: www.zumayapublications.com www.Extasybooks.com

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Chapter One

“Five hundred credits,” the man behind the counter of Spaceship Supply Inc. said without blinking. “Five hundred. That’s outrageous!” Angela Bennett, captain of the Hawk’s Flight, eyed the piece of silver metal clutched in the man’s grimy fingers. It was a navigational system component, and no bigger than the palm of his hand, but without it her ship would not fly. The man shrugged, not bothering to hide the contemptuous look on his face. Ange straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. So what if her patched jacket and worn boots proclaimed her depleted credit? She was a legitimate customer, and despite its grandiose name, his shop was little more than a hole in the wall in a seedy part of town. Finding replacement parts for a spaceship as old as Hawk’s Flight was not an easy task. Ange had spent half a day tracking down this part. “You don’t want it, I put it back. Make up your mind. It’s closing time.” “All right. I’ll take it.” With a sigh, Ange waved her hand over the laser reader embedded in the counter. She held her breath while the computer read her universal ID and checked her account. The balance hovered dangerously close to negative numbers. To her relief, the system beeped its approval. Her off-world bills must not have posted yet. The clerk shoved the component at her, not even bothering with a bag. She slipped it inside her tunic as she headed for the door. Outside, darkness enveloped Parme, the capital city of Tau Delta. Ange cast a watchful glance up and down the street as she started toward the spaceport, three blocks away. It hadn’t seemed so far when she’d walked to the store in bright daylight, glad of a chance to bask in the warmth of a sun after almost a standard year in space. But nightfall brought a sinister look to the streets with their rows of shabby shops and barred doors. The handful of people who passed her on the sidewalk kept moving and avoided eye contact. That was fine with her. As always, she was careful to keep her distance from any passersby. The night deepened and Ange quickened her pace, glad her business in Parme was done. With any luck, someone would hire her ship soon and she’d be back in space where she belonged. Where she was safe. Ahead, the bright lights of the spaceport illuminated the sky. A high fence and gate marked the entrance. Breathing a sigh of relief, she hurried across the street and held up her palm for the guard to read her ID. He waved her inside and she headed across the endless stretch of concrete to where Hawk’s Flight waited. A smile curved her lips at the sight of her ship. Hawk was old and worn, its curved surface pitted by space debris, but it was hers—well, hers and her creditors. She shook off her worries about her mounting debt. So far, she’d met her expenses by building a reputation for speed. She achieved that by taking risks and flying through the dangerous Abandoned Zone. It didn’t bother her. She was only gambling with herself and her android, Jake. Besides, it wasn’t as if anyone cared if she lived or died. She lived her life alone. She had to, to stay sane. It hadn’t been easy.

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She had a foot on the ramp that led up to her cargo bay door when a voice stopped her. “Hey, cap’n, need any more work done?” Surprised, she whirled around. A man sauntered out of the shadow of her ship, his big shoulders blocking the distant spotlights along the fence as he approached her. She recognized the burly form with the unkempt clothes and uncombed hair. Sean. That was the name he’d given her. He was one of the workers who hung around the docks looking for temporary employment with any ship that came in. She’d hired him earlier in the day to help unload her cargo. As he stepped closer, Ange stiffened with alarm. She recognized the look in his eye, a look of obsession. Her heart sank. She’d been so careful to keep a safe distance from the men while the ship was unloaded. She’d sent Jake to do most of the supervision, only appearing when she had to settle some question the android wasn’t equipped to answer. She was certain she’d stayed far enough away. Was her scent getting stronger? The thought that even distance couldn’t guarantee her safety disturbed her. Lately she’d noticed that some men seemed to succumb to her seductive fragrance more easily than others. Human contact was always iffy. She balanced on the balls of her feet, ready to run into the Hawk. It wouldn’t do to let him get too close. She knew from bitter experience how dangerous that could be. But showing fear made it worse. She shook her head. “Sorry. The ship’s empty and I don’t have any new cargo to load yet.” She turned back to the ramp, determined not to panic. The door seemed far away. “Wait, cap’n.” His voice took on an urgent tone. He lunged out and grabbed her elbow. Pain shot up her arm as he yanked her off the ramp. She stumbled and collided with his chest. His hot, rancid breath scorched her face. His arm went around her waist, imprisoning her. “You’re one fine woman. Say you got something for an old space hand.” “I told you, I don’t need any help. Hawk is a one-woman ship.” Her stomach lurching in disgust, she pressed her hands to his chest and pushed, but his bruising grip on her elbow held firm. “Let me go,” she snapped in her best command voice. “Or I’ll scream for the guards.” “The guards are a long ways away, cap’n.” Sean leered at her, showing a row of dirty teeth. His eyes were bright. Too bright. They glittered with a kind of madness. His fingers bruised her arm and he leaned closer, breathing hard. Ange’s heart constricted with fear. She’d lived this nightmare too many times. Men, crazed with lust, driven wild by her scent. Each attack burned in her memory. She gagged as the reek of stale beer enveloped her. Sean sniffed at her hair. “You smell like heaven,” he whispered. His eyes glazed with desire. Just like all the other times. She knew what came next. Sean’s dirty hand pawed at the front of her jacket. Anger flooded through her, giving her strength. “No!” she shouted and kneed him in the groin with one swift, vicious move. He grunted and doubled over but held on to her despite her desperate lunge away from him. “Damn you!” he wheezed.

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Her kick went wild as Sean pulled her off balance. She screamed for help. “Shut up!” he shouted and slapped her hard across the face. The sound of the blow echoed across the open field. She staggered and he yanked her into the shadows under the ramp. “Think you’re too good for the likes of me, do you? Think you can go around smelling like a bitch in heat and get away with it. I’ll show you.” Growling like an animal, he pushed her down on the hard concrete and pinned her under his weight. “Stop it!” She tried to jerk her hands free, her nails ready to rake his face, but he was strong. Her head ached and her cheek throbbed, but the fear was the worst—the fear that what had happened before would happen again. The first time she’d been thirteen. It had been the week she became a woman, the week of her first period. Some initiation. A grim determination coursed through her. She wouldn’t be a victim again. Not this time. She fought to roll out from under him, but he backhanded her across her other cheek. “No, you don’t. You’re not getting away from me.” His maniacal laughter ripped apart the silence of the night. He pinned her down with his weight and leaned over her. She twisted her head to avoid his clumsy attempt at a kiss and saw a bright light sweep across the concrete. “Stop!” She got one hand free and tried to beat him off with her fist. He ignored her feeble pounding. “Oh, baby, don’t fight me. You’re gonna like it.” Sean crooned. His eyes were glazed and he looked oblivious to anything but his attempts to steal a kiss. Ange caught the low hum of a motor, nearly drowned out by his heavy breathing. Her heart leapt with hope. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed an aerocar landing. Sean hadn’t noticed. He was too busy trying to plant his disgusting mouth over hers. “Get off me!” she screamed to cover up the sound of a door slamming. Footsteps pounded across the tarmac. “You heard the captain!” A male voice thundered above the two of them as they struggled on the ground. Two big hands reached toward her out of the night. One grabbed her assailant’s collar and the other seized his belt. With a heave, the newcomer hauled Sean off her. “Let me go!” Sean yelled, swinging a fist wildly at the air. “After I teach you a lesson.” Ange looked up at her rescuer. Sean was big but this man was bigger. The stranger’s eyes were dark slits full of controlled rage. He shook Sean like a puppy. “Not such a bully now, eh?” Sean launched a kick at him, but the man dodged it and drove a solid blow into Sean’s stomach. “I ought to break you in two,” he growled. Sean doubled over, the air knocked out of him. Ange sat up, feeling dizzy and sick, and blinked at the aerocar parked on the concrete near her ship. Its long, sleek black lines oozed wealth. Another man jumped out of the car and came running up. He had

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on a uniform and wore a driver’s leather cap. “Take him to the guards,” her rescuer said, grabbing Sean by the collar and tossing him at the newcomer like so much garbage. “Right, Mr. Llewelyn.” The newcomer pulled a gun from his pocket. He waved it at Sean who was clutching his stomach and whimpering. “Come with me and don’t make any trouble or you’ll be sorry.” Her rescuer bent over her and thrust out a hand. The shadows hid his face but she caught the bright flash of a friendly grin. “Here, let me help you up.” “No, thanks.” Ange waved him off. He was standing dangerously close to her. In another moment, he’d catch her scent. Panicking, she staggered to her feet and backed away, out of his reach. He frowned at her obvious retreat and held up his hands. “Hey, I’m not going to hurt you. And my driver will see that your attacker is arrested. I’m Blane Llewelyn, by the way.” Ange straightened her shoulders, intending to thank him and then beat a hasty retreat up the ramp. She didn’t dare get close to any man—the sooner she was back in space, the better. She brushed a hand through the curly mop of her hair and peered at him. The lights from the aerocar behind him surrounded him in a radiant halo. The wind ruffled his long hair, and she caught a whiff of his scent on the breeze. It was a clean, masculine odor, a wild scent like the smell of a forest after the rain, with the earth dark and fertile and full of power. She narrowed her eyes. What a crazy thought. She was a creature of space, doomed to spend her life alone in a metal shell. What did she know about forests teeming with the smell of life everywhere? He took one step closer to her as a gust of wind whipped around them both. “Ahh!” An involuntary sigh of pleasure escaped her. She breathed in deeper, wanting to fill her lungs with his delicious smell. Her head spun as if she’d just slugged down a pint of the best Arturian ale. Shock burned through her body and she staggered back. The smell of the forest deepened, a rich smell, the deep, steady smell of the earth, the clean scent of the trees. Her mind filled with images of lush groves and dappled sunlight, and a soft rain of autumn leaves drifting to the ground in shades of red and yellow and orange, making a fragrant bed where lovers could unite. She and this man would lie down naked, their flesh gleaming white against the scarlet and gold leaves. The erotic image spun out of control. Her body melted as her insides quivered and turned to water. An unexpected tidal wave of pure lust roared through her. A hot rush of passion poured through her veins like molten lava. She gasped for breath, sure steam must be coming off her skin. A flush burned on her cheeks as a feverish heat brought a light dew of sweat to the cleft between her breasts. The months she’d spent struggling to accept a celibate life vanished as if in smoke. Her body quivered with awareness of this man—she quivered as if her nerve endings had somehow reached out and touched his body. This was insane, and yet she could not control the longing that swept away all reason. At his slightest movement, the lift of his arched brow, the pursing of his sensuous lips, she trembled with insane lust. She had to control these incredible emotions that rocketed through her body. She clutched at the railing of the ramp for support and struggled to catch her breath. Sean’s blows must have rattled her brain. This Blane was a stranger, nothing more than a dark form looming out of the night, and yet she wanted him,

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wanted him badly. Her mind screamed that it was nonsense, but her body trembled with an overwhelming and inexplicable desire to run into his arms, to mold her body to his and cover his face with passionate kisses. Goddess, she was as bad as Sean. One whiff of his scent had turned her into a rutting animal unable to control her urges. His scent—his woodsy, compelling scent—that had to be it. She clutched at her throat with one hand, testing the air with delicate sniffs. Was it possible? Was there someone else who carried the same curse she did? Scent. Alluring, intoxicating scent. It was her doom. But she’d never heard of anyone else afflicted in the same way. Oh, yes, she’d seen men react to the sensual fragrance she gave off—their reaction was immediate and primordial whenever she got too close—but never had a man’s presence hit her like this. A puzzled line appeared between her brows as she squinted at the man in front of her. He was tall, with broad shoulders that tapered to a slim waist. A friendly smile warmed his ruggedly handsome face. His eyes were dark in the shadowed night but they looked at her with concern. Lust stirred in her blood again. She kept her breathing shallow and eyed him with caution. “Thanks for helping me,” she said. “I don’t want to seem unfriendly, but I’ve got to get inside my ship where I can be alone.” “You’re sure you’re not hurt?” His bass voice rumbled with worry. “No, I’m fine.” As her heartbeat steadied, questions rushed into her mind. Who was he? Where had he come from? He watched her with calm determination—like someone who knew what he wanted and how he was going to get it. The air between them vibrated with the force of his personality. Biting her lip, she studied him with the intense interest she usually reserved for Hawk’s engines. His confident stance and fit body told her he was a man who could handle trouble. He had a square jaw line and a wide, generous mouth. A shining cap of dark brown hair fell to his shoulders, framing his clean-cut features. She frowned as an unusual fluttering sensation passed through her stomach. Great, not only did he smell like sex and sin, but he was also a hunk. She had to get a grip. Smell could be a dangerous thing; instinctual, arousing. If she indulged the desire raging through her and moved closer to him, he would catch her scent. Her pulsed raced at the thought of the resulting explosion of desire. Heat, passion, their two bodies molded together. But in the end she’d be hurt—again. Her starship and safety were only a few meters away. She willed her feet to move, to take her away from this stranger, away from the mystery of their similarity, away from his magnificent body. His eyes locked with hers and held her motionless. Fear skittered through her as she licked her lips. What was happening? She’d watched men go crazy with passion when she came near. This man had the same effect on her, merely by standing there. You smell like heaven. Sean’s words came back to her. That was her curse—the curse that had driven her into a lonely life aboard the Hawk, the curse that made male hormones spiral out of control. She took a careful breath. His rich, musky scent teased her with sweet desire. Her stomach did a little flip-flop as she stared into his eyes. They were a compelling shade of deep violet. They reminded her of the color the darkening sky turned at the moment before a ship left atmosphere and entered space. Staring into their depths, she saw the shadow of grief. If he was like her, he too must have suffered terrible loneliness.

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Heat flared up in her veins again, ignited by his probing stare. She looked down, only to find herself appraising the bulge in his pants. Goddess, where was it safe to look on this man? Desperate, she focused on his hands. They were strong hands with long fingers. Desire exploded in her belly and shot upward. Her nipples tightened at the thought of those hands on her skin. She forced her breathing to stay calm. She’d given up any thought of a normal relationship years ago. If she got any closer to him, it would be sex, mad sex, and nothing else. She fought to ignore the fiery warmth running riot through her body. The man radiated energy, an energy that shimmered over her skin, warming her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Blood burned in her cheeks and pooled in her loins where it caused a pleasant throbbing. Her throat went dry and at the same time other parts of her grew wet. How long had it been since she’d satisfied that need with a man in her bed? She didn’t even want to think about that.

***

Blane folded his arms across his chest and waited while Ange Bennett gave him a thorough once-over. The woman looked spooked by something. Of course, almost getting raped probably did that to a woman, but he already knew she was someone who didn’t spook easily. He’d spent the past few days investigating her, learning about her history—doing the dirty work for his brother Ryol as usual. Ryol wanted a ship to take them back to Kyffin. Blane smiled at the irony. For once, what Ryol wanted and what he wanted were one in the same. Ever since his unwilling departure from Kyffin, he’d been looking for a way back. And now, Ryol was offering it to him—demanding it of him. There was a price, naturally. There was always a price with Ryol. But he’d demanded his price, too. Quid pro quo. The ancient exchange of favors. He’d give Ryol what he wanted, and in return, Ryol would help him rescue those he’d been forced to abandon. But first they needed a ship. After some discrete questions around the spaceport, he’d decided Hawk’s Flight would be perfect for the job. Only, its captain was something of a mystery. He narrowed his gaze, caught the flush mounting in her cheeks. He knew why. She was confused, shaken by overwhelming desire. The breeze was blowing toward her—she’d caught his scent. He knew the effect he had on women. Not that it meant anything. It was chemical, biological, hormonal, anything but real. The desire flaming to sudden life in her eyes was empty, meaningless, nothing more than her hormones going into overdrive. In his younger days he’d taken full advantage of his body’s strange ability to lure women, but the lust only made the loneliness more painful in the end. These days he preferred to stay alone, locked in his studio, creating his sculptures. No woman would ever love him for who he was—only for what he smelled like. He drove the thought away. Tonight his aberration might work to his advantage. If his scent enticed Ange Bennett, so much the better. Ryol was desperate to find a pilot willing to fly into the Abandoned Zone at once, so they’d reach Kyffin in time for the double moon rising. He’d even lent Blane his car and his driver for the trip to the spaceport. Ryol and his obscene wealth, money made from the same enticing aroma that cursed Blane’s life.

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Ryol would expect Captain Bennett to jump at the fee he was authorized to offer. But Blane knew she would be hard to convince. He’d heard enough about her reputation in the past two days to expect a tough cookie, and she’d been putting up a pretty good fight when the car had landed. What he hadn’t expected was a tough cookie with blonde, curly hair and eyes the deep green of a sun-warmed tropical sea. Steady, boy! Blane shook his head as he contemplated her unexpected beauty. He had a sudden impulse to close the distance she had put between them and sweep her into his arms. That was the last thing he needed—to get close to a woman. Especially a woman he’d be spending weeks with in space. He was here on business. He wanted to go to Kyffin as much as Ryol did—although for different reasons. Still, she made a lovely picture standing on the ramp, silhouetted against the sky. He admired the proud way she held her head, her tawny curls ruffled by the breeze, her green eyes watchful as she took his measure. With her unruly head of hair and her defiant stance, she looked like a warrior princess out of some holoflic. She wore baggy pants tucked into scuffed black boots, a plain, gray tunic and a bulky jacket that hid the shape of her body. But she couldn’t hide the delicate bone structure of her heart-shaped face or the soft fullness of her lips. His breathing quickened as he took in her beauty and he amended his mental description—she was more like an elfin princess than a warrior. She made him think of the magical women in the Fa’erie tales in his childhood. With an effort, Blane forced his mind back to business. As much as he might enjoy standing and ogling Ange Bennett all night—and she seemed equally engrossed in staring at him—he’d come to the spaceport for a reason. He smiled and turned on the charm. “Let me explain my presence here, Captain Bennett. I want to hire your services.” Her eyes widened and she backed up a step. Her tense posture made him think of a wild animal leery of a trap. The attack must have unnerved her more than he’d realized. He wanted to take her in his arms, hold her, and comfort her. But that was impossible. He couldn’t get that close without arousing her. Maybe it was a good thing she was so skittish tonight. Blane kept his smile pasted on his face, but his conscience chided him. It didn’t matter what Ange Bennett wanted. He intended to hire her. His informant said she was close to broke with no new work in sight. A few days of paying the docking fees at this spaceport and she would be in danger of losing her ship. Ange Bennett needed work bad. And he had a job for her to do. She wiped her hands against her pants. “Hire me for what?” “I’ve been told that you sometimes fly into the Abandoned Zone.” She lifted her chin. “There’s no law against that.” “Certainly not. But very few captains are willing to take the risk anymore. However, that’s where we want to go. To Kyffin.” “We?” She frowned at him.

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“Myself and my brother. Ryol Llewelyn. You may have heard of him. He’s a wealthy businessman.” “I’m sorry.” She shook her head with real regret in her eyes. “I could use the money, but I don’t take passengers. You’ll have to find someone else.” Blane planted his hands on his hips. She must be bluffing, angling for more money. After all, she was fairly desperate for cash. Well, Ryol could afford it. “Money is no problem. We’ll pay you whatever you ask.” “Sorry.” Her kissable mouth set in a firm line. She lifted a hand, palm outward. “I only deal in cargo. The answer is no. Period.” She was a stubborn one, all right. He liked that. A woman with backbone. But he had a job to do. The chance to get back to Kyffin wouldn’t come again soon. Time to entice her with a whiff of his scent. He took a step closer. Alarm flared in her eyes. “Keep back!” she snapped. “Sure.” He stopped. The breeze was blowing her way. He knew his scent would soon work its magic. Meanwhile, she made an enchanting picture. His informants had said she was a strange one, a loner. He’d read her file again just before leaving for the spaceport. She’d been raised on various spaceships by her mother, a ship’s engineer who had died in an accident three standard years ago. She’d bought Hawk’s Flight with the insurance settlement, but pickings were slim for independent spacers and she was barely getting by. She made enough to keep the Hawk in space by being willing to fly places no one else dared to go. No family, no boyfriends, no ties. Hard to believe someone so young and so lovely could be so alone. And no passengers. Ever. A smile appeared on Blane’s lips. He liked a challenge. “Why no passengers?” He kept his tone light. She looked away and for a moment he thought she would refuse to answer. Instead, she shrugged. “I doubt you’d understand. Let’s just say I don’t get along with men.” She gave her head a little shake, making the curls of her blonde mop bounce, and stared at the shadows under the ramp where Sean had thrown her to the ground. “Tonight is a prime example.” He laughed, and immediately regretted it when she threw him an angry look. “Oh, come on,” he said, trying to recover. “How often does some man attempt to rape you?” A blush darkened her cheeks. “That’s none of your business. And my ship is my ship. I’ll do as I wish with her. Please leave.” “If you insist.” He forced a pleasant smile to his face. What had happened to his invincible charm? He’d expected her to be all over him by now, clinging to his neck, kissing his mouth, inviting him to her bed. They always did. He had to get closer so the scent would hit her, but she seemed determined to put even more distance between them. She started up the ramp, her head turned to keep a wary eye on him. In another moment, she’d be inside, out of his reach. He had to play his trump card. Ryol would be livid if he failed. But more importantly, there were people

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on Kyffin who needed what Ryol would bring. “We’ll meet again, captain.” She tossed a glare at him over her shoulder. “How so?” “When you lose your ship to your debtors and she’s mine, I’ll hire you on as part of the crew.” She froze with one hand on the railing, the other clenched into a fist at her side. Fear flashed across her face, followed by anger. She narrowed her eyes and examined him with distain. “I’m not going to lose Hawk’s Flight.” “You will if no one hires you soon. Not only is my brother wealthy, he’s also quite influential. He can see to it that no one does.” At that, she whirled around to face him full on, her body braced as if for battle. “Why would you do that to me?” “Because we need you to fly us to Kyffin. Look—” he summoned up his best boyish grin. “I don’t know what your problem is with taking passengers, but I promise we’ll stay out of your hair.” Her hands curled into fists. “I don’t like being blackmailed.” “And I don’t like blackmailing people. Besides, I’ve got nowhere to park a spaceship. So let’s make it easy for both of us. My brother will pay you an outrageous sum of money and we’ll stay out of your way for the whole trip, if you take the two of us to Kyffin.” Her mouth quivered at that. He’d almost gotten her to smile. “I tell you what, you name the price,” he added. She caught a tawny curl between thumb and forefinger and played with it as she eyed him. Gods, she was gorgeous. And as skittish as a Managastian wild cat. Maybe she had good reason to be leery of two strange men on her ship. “I promise we’ll stay out of your sight. You won’t even know we’re on board.” He poured sincerity into his voice. “My brother’s something of a hermit anyway. So am I, for that matter.” He shrugged. Her eyes sparked with interest. “What’s your business on Kyffin?” Blane let out a breath and relaxed. “It’s Ryol’s business, really. I’m just his gofer. He’ll explain it to you.” Footsteps rang on the concrete pavement and Ryol’s driver reappeared. “I turned the man in to the guards,” he said to Blane. He nodded his head to Ange. “They’ll probably be stopping by tomorrow to get a statement from you, captain.” “I guess I owe you something for that.” Ange bit down on her lip. “Okay. But there’ll be some strict rules. You’ll have to agree to stay out of my control room—and anywhere else I declare off limits.” “That’s no problem.” Blane held out his hand but she backed up another step, clearly unwilling to touch

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him. He frowned. Had someone hurt her that badly? Well, they’d have two months in space together on the trip to Kyffin. No matter how diligently she tried to avoid him, a spaceship was only so big. He made up his mind to find out more about Captain Ange Bennett—much more.

Chapter Two

Ange repositioned the panel cover over the rear drive controls and rocked back on her heels to listen to the low rumble of the ship’s engines. They were a month and a half out from Tau Delta and Hawk’s Flight had never sounded better. Determined to stay far away from her two passengers, Ange had spent most of her waking hours on this trip in the control room or the engine room. She tightened the panel in place and rose to her feet. The past few weeks had been tough, but Blane and Ryol had kept their promise to stay out of her sight. She was relieved about that, of course, yet a perverse part of her wanted to know more about Blane. Until their meeting on Tau Delta, she’d thought her problem was unique. But apparently he, too, gave off a scent that lured the opposite sex. Could he possibly understand the lonely life she’d led? The thought gave her hope, but then she would imagine getting close enough to him that he could catch her scent—and his eyes darkening with mindless lust like all the others. No, she didn’t want that. Stretching her arms and yawning, she glanced at the chronometer over the main panel. According to ship’s time, it was three in the morning. Good. Both passengers should be sound asleep. She decided to head for the lounge, gulp down a tube of food, and go to bed. After stowing away her tools in the engine room, she secured the hatch and stepped into the main passageway. Hawk’s Flight had once carried a crew in addition to its captain. Four cabins lined the short corridor between the engine room and the forward galley and control room. She had passed the first two when a door slid open with a soft whoosh of air and Blane stepped in front of her. “Well, hello.” He raised a surprised eyebrow and stopped. She stopped, her heart racing with alarm. At times during the past few weeks, she’d caught a trace of his potent scent in the corridor. Each time, it had started her blood burning and filled her head with erotic fantasies. Fantasies of finally closing the gap between them. Of his fingertips tracing the curve of her cheek. Fantasies of strong arms holding her with gentle strength instead of the ravenous lust she’d always known. Fantasies of a soft, tender kiss. She knew that could never be. But she’d come to treasure the fantasies. The last thing she wanted was

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to face him in the flesh. Maybe if she held her breath and hurried past, he’d have no effect on her. Her head started to pound, but that was probably lack of oxygen. Ahead lay the galley and beyond that the safety of the control room. But he stood unmoving in front of her. Surely he wouldn’t dare to block her way. His eyes held an impish sparkle as he faced her. He didn’t look sleepy, either, despite his tousled hair. Had he purposefully stayed awake in his cabin, waiting for her to pass by? Blane cocked his head to one side. “I haven’t caught as much as a single glimpse of you in the past week or two, captain.” “That’s the idea—and our agreement.” He held up a hand. “I respect our agreement. I’m headed to the galley for a middle-of-the-night snack. And you?” She frowned. “I was going to get something to eat, too. Go ahead if you’re hungry. I’ll eat when you’re finished.” Blane kept his hand up and braced his feet in a wide stance. As she’d feared, his solid body blocked the way. Ange couldn’t help notice the sexy shadow of stubble on his cheeks and the brown curls peeking out over the edge of his v-necked, sleeveless tank top. Tight thigh-high shorts hugged his narrow hips and muscular thighs and left little to her imagination about his male attributes. Her cheeks burned despite the fact that the ship’s temperature controls were dialed down for the night. “Isn’t that a little silly?” Blane lifted a hand, palm up in invitation. “The galley is big enough. I can keep at a distance from you and we can both eat. I wouldn’t mind a bit of company.” Ange rubbed her cheek. She appreciated his willingness to respect the limits she’d set, but she was puzzled by this sudden show of friendship. “You’ve got your brother for company.” “Ryol and I are not that close.” “He sent you to hammer out the deal for the ship. I assumed you were partners.” Blane shook his head, his smooth brown hair swinging with the motion. “No. Ryol has his reasons for returning to Kyffin and I have mine. For now, we share the same goal—getting there. When we arrive, though, our interests will diverge.” Narrowing her eyes, Ange pondered this surprising news. Why was he telling her his family secrets? Something in his tone suggested that it was important information. “I hope that won’t be a problem,” she said. “My agreement is with Ryol, after all.” Blane had negotiated the contract, but Ryol was the one who’d signed it and paid the first half of her fee. He was older than Blane by several years, and true to his word, he had retired to his cabin the moment Hawk lifted off. Since then she’d only caught two or three glimpses of his tall figure, dressed in the rich robes of a merchant. Blane flashed a grin at her. “Shouldn’t be. Especially if we get to know each other better. Say you’ll unbend a little and join me.”

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Without waiting for her answer, he turned and walked to the door that led to the galley. It opened and he stepped through, gesturing for her to follow. Curiosity pricked at Ange. This was the man who had rescued her from a violent attack and commandeered her ship with his forceful personality. More than that, he was a man who could seduce women with his smell. Was there some connection between his ability and hers? Maybe it was worth investigating. Surely, it couldn’t hurt to learn a little bit about him. Every instinct warned her that she would regret following him through that door. But her mind’s eye refused to consider anything but the sight of his broad shoulders and tight ass as he vanished into the galley. Cursing herself for a fool, she followed him and took up a position at the opposite end of the galley. She might not be able to resist the temptation to spend a few minutes with Blane, but years of bitter experience had taught her to keep a safe distance where men were concerned. Blane’s eyes sparkled as he pulled two food tubes from the storage bin and tossed one at her. She caught it and yanked off the tab. A thick brown paste oozed out. The stamp on the side of the tube informed her it was supposed to taste like roast beef. Not that she’d ever tasted real beef. But the government guaranteed it was safe and nutritious. And it was lightweight and cheap. “Hope you haven’t found the rations too boring,” she said, swallowing some of the paste. “I’ve never been able to afford real food. Anyway, I grew up on this stuff, so I guess it’s not fatal.” “Doesn’t bother me.” Blane licked at the paste brimming over the edge of his tube. Ange shifted uneasily. Maybe this was a bad idea. The sight of his tongue sweeping in slow, sensual circles over the tip of the tube stirred erotic sensations deep in her belly. She imagined it gliding over her skin, imagined its damp warmth and how its rough surface would tickle her. She took a cautious sniff of the air, alert for any hint of wild, dark forests. “I grew up on an abandoned world. We were glad to get something to eat, most days. Although Ryol’s lived in the lap of luxury for these past five years.” “You’ve been away from Kyffin for five years?” “Ten, actually. It took him a while to amass his wealth. He’s done well financially, at least.” “And you?” “I’m an artist. I do metal sculptures.” That explained the muscled shoulders. She pictured him alone in a studio, blowtorch in hand, stripped to his waist, sweat gleaming on his chest. Her cheeks grew hot. “You said you’re not partners.” Maybe it was time she got that clear. “Nope. Not even friends.” His lips curled in a rueful smile. “Not even full brothers, actually. He and my sister are my half-siblings. You’ll meet Sharlene when we land on Kyffin.” She hesitated over her next question. She’d never carried passengers before and she figured the less she knew about their business the better, as long as it wasn’t illegal. But an inner voice warned her that she needed to know. “Why are you going back to Kyffin?”

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“Ryol needs to get something—and he needs me to get it. Simple as that.” Blane shrugged. “I have some business to finish. After that, we go our separate ways.” He squeezed the last bit of paste out of his tube and swallowed it, then licked his lips. Ange’s pulse quickened as she watched his tongue sweep over his lower lip. His lips were full, sensual, and far too kissable. What was she thinking? If she got close enough to this man to kiss him, he’d catch her scent, the lust would grab him and the madness would start all over again. Only this time, they’d both be lost because his wild, woodsy smell would drive her over the edge with a matching passion. Oh, gods. The thought of the resulting conflagration aroused her. An image of their sweat-sheened bodies entangled together on the bunk in her cabin filled her mind. Her cheeks burned with suppressed desire. She dropped her gaze to the floor and tried to concentrate on the metal rivets bolting the plates of the deck together. Her face was hot and her hands were clammy. Maybe she was coming down with a fever. “You okay?” His voice sounded concerned. She laid her empty tube on the table with shaking hands and stared at the vent in the wall above Blane’s head. Damn! The air circulation system was blowing his scent her way. She caught a spicy, masculine aroma and a deeper, musky scent that reminded her of the lush, hot smell of the tropical jungle on Beta Centuri. Heat, hot jungle heat. A drop of sweat trickled down between her breasts. “It’s been an interesting chat, but I have to go,” she mumbled. “Wait!” Without warning he took three long steps and stood in front of her. His chest blocked her path like a wall. His smell washed over her, drowning her in its richness. Against her will, she took a deep breath, sucking his incredibly delicious scent down into her lungs. Palm trees, lush tropical plants, exotic flowers opening to the hot sun. Her head spun. He grabbed her arm, his strong fingers scorching her skin wherever they touched. His violet eyes blazed into hers. “I can’t stop thinking about you, ever since that night when I—” He stopped, took a breath. “I’ve honored your wishes, but I have to know why someone so beautiful would spend her life hiding from men.” With a curse, Ange jerked her arm free. Blane looked surprised at her anger. “Don’t touch me!” she yelled. “I warned you to stay away from me.” “It’s all right. I’d never hurt you.” He towered over her. The strong rumble of his voice vibrated through her body, setting off subtle reactions everywhere. Her legs trembled and her fingers itched to brush back the wisps of soft brown hair that fell into his eyes as he stared at her. The world whirled and she grabbed for something solid to support her. To her dismay, Blane grabbed her again, his hands grasping her elbows to hold her steady. His eyes shone with compassion and his hot, jungle scent enveloped her in a cloud of mounting desire. “What is it? Did someone hurt you? I want to help.” He bent closer, his face a handbreadth away from hers, his breath hot on her cheek. Too close! She’d warned him. And yet she wanted to know what his kiss was like, wanted the touch of those firm lips

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despite the terrible danger. Madness seized her. She drove her fears away and leaned into him, raising her head. He realized her intent and bent to the kiss. Their lips met, and hot, molten fire erupted between them, sending a rush of exquisite pleasure coursing through her. It was unbelievable how much she craved his touch. She broke away, frightened by a longing more powerful than anything she’d ever felt. “Blane.” She whispered his name in amazement. Her arms looped around his neck. He trembled against her and she knew that a matching tide of emotion exploded through him. He bent his head and his mouth claimed hers, clinging to her with a hot, terrible need. His lips moved over hers urgently, with rising desire. Her long-suppressed passions, fed by years of loneliness, rose to meet his in a wild, uncontrollable crescendo. His tongue slid into her mouth, probing, each thrust a promise of deeper intimacies to come. In another moment her body would melt into his arms and she’d be lost. No! Fear surged through her, panic at what was about to happen. She broke off the kiss and saw his eyes darken as he took a surprised breath. She knew with a cold, sinking feeling that he’d caught her scent. His pupils expanded into black holes as deep and fathomless as space. She recognized that look, knew it far too well. The lust had started to overpower his senses, and if she stared in his eyes a moment longer, she would drown. She struggled to break free, but his grip tightened on her elbows. They stood, facing each other, both breathing hard. Blane held her in a firm grip, worried by the panic in her eyes. His lips burned with the touch of hers and his body screamed its urgent need at her. He didn’t want to scare her, but he had to know the reason for her strange elusiveness. No woman had treated him like this ever—or at least not since his adolescence had brought the change in his body’s chemistry that produced his overpowering aroma. A subtle fragrance wafted up to him, borne by the hot currents of air shimmering over her flushed skin. Perfume, she must be wearing some perfume. Against his will, he took a deep breath. Her sweet, delicate scent danced through him. Wildflowers in a high, mountain meadow. Sunshine sparkling on a crystal-clear stream where Londorian trees rained their velvet soft blossoms on the water. The rich, alluring fragrance of flowers woven in a woman’s hair. Erotic images surged into his brain, almost overwhelming him. Sun-warmed skin. Burying his face into the fragile hollow between her breasts to breathe deep, deep, deeper. His tongue tasting her skin. Spreading her legs to catch the perfume of her hot core. A tidal surge of desire started deep in his loins and spread through him with all the sudden fury of an unleashed inferno. His eyes narrowed and his hands on her elbows grew slick with sweat. Perfume! She smelled of the strongest, most exotic perfume in the universe. Ryol. He growled deep in his throat at the thought of his brother. While he’d been staying in his cabin, abiding by Ange’s requests, Ryol must have spoken to her, and given her his wicked, potent perfume. Blane’s lips formed a snarl of anger. He wanted no part of Ryol or his perfume. He released her elbows and stepped back. “You reek!” he snapped, although nothing could be further from the truth. She smelled of heaven, of sunlight and freedom and laughter, as fresh as a breeze off a high glacier, as sweet

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as a meadow warmed by the sun. He wanted to lay her down on a bed of wildflowers and weave the petals through her shining curls. He wanted to make passionate love to her while the earth cradled their bodies and the sun burned their skin. “Excuse me!” She lifted both eyebrows, anger plain on her face. He stuck a hand into his pocket and pulled out a breath mint. The sharp, peppermint scent filled his nostrils, easing the overwhelming compulsion to take her in his arms. “I see Ryol’s given you some of his perfume, but you need to go a little easier on it,” he said, trying to keep his tone light. Her eyes flashed like green emeralds. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “My brother. His perfume.” Blane shrugged to hide his disappointment. His mind shuddered away from an image of her sneaking through the ship to a secret liaison with Ryol. They were all adults. What she did was her business. But he hadn’t thought Ange Bennett was the type to be swept away by his brother’s wealth. “I’m talking about my brother and the fact that he’s obviously showering you with gifts already.” He forced a smile to his lips. “Enjoy it while you can. Ryol is something of a playboy on Tau Delta.” Her chin went up in the air. “I haven’t spoken two words to your brother since he came on board this ship.” “If you say so.” Now she was lying to him. The incredible scent coming off her skin could only come from Ryol’s outrageously expensive perfume. Blane swallowed his disappointment. He’d thought she was different from the other women he knew. Wrong again. Well, he’d obey her rules for the rest of the trip and be glad when his mission was accomplished and he could return to his studio. Women sculpted from stone were all his future held. How often did he have to learn the same lesson? Some people were destined to live their lives alone. He was one. “I do say so.” Her chin went up another notch. Gods, she was a liar and a brassy one at that. He had a sudden urge to teach her a lesson. Scent could be a dangerous thing. Moving with fluid grace, he stepped in front of her again, grabbing her arms. Her eyes widened as she caught his smell. Good! Let her feel the same wild fire of passion that tormented him. He bent over her, watching her pupils dilate as his scent surrounded her. In another moment, she’d be pressing her body against his, arching into him, curving her stomach against his throbbing erection, begging for him to take her. He bent his head, determined to kiss her—a long, hot kiss that would teach her never to mess with him again. Ange’s eyes grew huge as Blane’s head lowered toward her. His breath scorched her skin. Her heart pounded and her head spun with his wild, musky scent. Panic gave her strength. She pulled free of his grip for a second time, whirled around and charged through the door. “Ange! Wait! Talk to me!”

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She clapped her hands to her ears to stop the captivating sound of his voice. Gaining the corridor, she focused on reaching her cabin door. As it slid shut, she sighed with relief. She leaned against the cold metal and panted while her mind danced with unwanted sensual images. Her body yearned for Blane, wanted him in her bed, naked and hungry. But that was the last thing she needed. As much as her heart might ache for a lover, her few relationships with men had been one-night stands, often brutal as the man succumbed to his lust. Every attempt to date a man had ended in a sexual orgy, nothing more. They wanted her and then they hated her. That was the way of it. She stared at her narrow bed, the corners of her blanket tucked in with neat precision in military style. It might as well be a nun’s bed in some religious cloister for all the passion that had ever warmed its cold sheets. Instead, she’d spent the last few years denying her natural amorous appetite, trying to ignore the intense sexuality that flowed like a raging firestorm through her veins. Blane Llewelyn had brought it roaring back to life with the merest brush of his warm breath against her cheek. His alluring scent was like fuel to some inner sacred flame that refused to be quenched. She had found her matching spark at last. Stimulated by his powerful scent, impassioned desire raged through her with dangerous intensity. His face filled her inner vision. Her hands moved of their own volition to stroke her upper arms where his touch had branded her. Her throat went dry as she remembered the strength of his grip. Her heart beat slower as the memory intensified, each beat heavy with the erotic desires sizzling in her veins. Her blood slowed too, pooling its heat in sensitive places, swelling her intimate flesh so that the slightest movement aroused her tingling nerves to the keen edge of pleasure. She caught a glimpse of her face in the mirror. Her skin was flushed and her eyes glittered with hunger. She’d seen that same glitter in the eyes of men. Was Blane a freak like her? Her male counterpart? Would he understand her torment? Hope flared, only to die. She couldn’t endure another disappointment. He was a man. Hormones, that’s all it was. Hormones out of control. She was so horny the mere smell of a healthy man was enough to set her off. Well, if her long voyages alone in the depths of space had taught her nothing else, they’d taught her how to satiate her out-of-control hormones. Lifting her head in a proud gesture, she pulled at the quick-seal fastenings of her clothes, ripping off her jacket, blouse and bra. They floated to the floor and she stepped over them. Naked from the waist up, she paused to admire the round perfect globes of her breasts, the creamy white skin, the dark red nipples. Watching herself in the mirror, she lifted her hands and cupped both breasts, admiring their fullness. Her eyelids fluttered shut and her breathing quickened as she imagined Blane bending over her to take one of her tender nipples in his mouth. At the thought, her nipples hardened, taut with desire. Passion flamed through her. Uttering an oath, she kicked off her boots and pulled down her pants. In another moment she was completely nude. Her hands stroked frantically over her skin, caressing her breasts and belly, kindling a flame that flickered downward to set her secret parts afire. Her fingers plucked at the stiff, extended nipples that begged for Blane’s mouth. She collapsed on the bed and ran her hands down her sides, over her hips and across her flat abdomen to the tangle of curls that concealed her woman flesh. As her fingers slipped over the moist skin and found the small, hard nub, she sank deeper into an

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uninhibited fantasy of Blane beside her in the bed. Squeezing her eyes shut, she imagined that her hands were his. His violet eyes deepened into dark pools of desire again in her imagination…his strong body pressed against hers, his rigid length mute testimony to his passion. His hot mouth moved over her trembling skin, each kiss igniting rivers of fire that flowed into her belly and aroused her beyond endurance… She moaned aloud, lost in her fantasy. She looped her arms around his neck and pressed her body brazenly against his, inviting intimacy. This was the moment, the terrible moment when all other men turned to maddened beasts with no other thought than to ravish her. Only in fantasy could she be safe, only in fantasy could she give rein to her dreams. She imagined his violet eyes filled with love and desire as he drank in her naked body. He whispered her name with longing and she knew that he loved her for more than the lust she could arouse. His hands reached for her, his thumbs stroking her shivering skin with gentle touches, rousing her to pleasure. He opened her legs and his hard body covered hers as he thrust into her. Little whimpers of longing escaped her. Her fingers pressed between her legs, stroking her inner fires to culmination. Like a spring coiled too tight, she exploded. Her whole body shuddered as waves of delicious pleasure pulsed through her. She gave a little cry of release and turned over onto her side, pulling a pillow into her arms. As the orgasm subsided, her fantasy dissolved. Reality returned. She was lying on a narrow bunk, alone. Tears filled her closed eyelids and leaked out the sides. She did not want to open them to see the empty cabin, to know that a man who loved her could never be anything but a dream.

Chapter Three

“Can you keep a secret?” Ryol Llewelyn shot a measuring stare across the cabin. “That’s what you pay me for.” Ange walked over to the dispenser unit and got herself a cup of coffee, while cursing her luck under her breath. Last week Blane, and today Ryol. And it was obvious the merchant wanted to talk. She’d entered the galley to find Ryol already there. And as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t just walk away and ignore him—he’d paid a hefty fee for this trip, after all. She took a cautious sniff of the air. At least she could detect no hint of a wild, forest scent. Still, it paid to be careful. She raised the cup to her nose and inhaled the rich steam coming from the brew. Taking a cautious sip of the scalding liquid, she leaned against the wall and folded her arms. Tomorrow they would be landing on Kyffin. As much as she hated contact with men, she needed to talk to her passenger. Ever since her torrid encounter with Blane a week ago, questions had teemed through

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her mind. Who was he? Why did he give off the same lust-provoking pheromones she did? Did Ryol share that affliction? And why this mad rush to reach Kyffin? What did the brothers want on that abandoned world? “I’d heard you had a reputation for keeping your mouth shut about your cargo. A friend of mine recommended you. He said you’d get the job done.” Ryol tapped one skinny finger against the edge of the table. He was smaller than Blane, with dark hair and black eyes. His lean face had a calculating look. His intensity disturbed Ange. He was up to something. No one risked the dangers of the Abandoned Zone on a whim. With a nod, she sat down at one end of the long table in the center of the ship’s galley. She narrowed her eyes at Ryol, who sat at the other end. She lifted her coffee cup and took another sip while she studied the merchant over the rim. As disquieting as he might be, his effect on her was minimal compared to Blane’s. Every time she caught a glimpse of the younger brother, her heart started to pound and her loins ached. What was wrong with her anyway? For the past few days she’d acted like a stowaway on her own ship, dodging through the corridors or hiding in the control room or the engine room. Meanwhile, the galley had turned into a danger zone. Ryol pressed his fingertips together. “My business is extremely confidential.” “I’ll stay quiet about anything you tell me, providing it’s not illegal.” She drew the line there. Always had. “Illegal?” He smiled. Ange didn’t like the man’s smile—it was too much like a smirk. She shifted in her chair and toyed with her coffee cup. She wasn’t altogether sure it was safe to hear this man’s secrets, but you couldn’t tell a paying passenger to shut up and go away. Sighing, she rubbed her forehead. Her lips pressed together in a thin line as the first throb of another headache pulsed through her skull. Ryol’s money had tempted her. It had been a mistake. This would be her last trip with passengers, ever. “My business is perfectly legal. I’m a respected merchant, well-known on many worlds.” Ryol looked smug as he ran a hand through his thinning hair. “What is your business?” She leaned forward, surprised by the harsh tone in her voice. This man made her more nervous than she’d realized. “That’s what I’m about to tell you, captain, if you’ll let me proceed.” Ange bit back an apology. Alarm bells rang in her head. Just her luck to get two misfits for passengers. In his own way, Ryol was as strange as his sexy brother. He was far too rich to be traveling on a beat-up ship like the Hawk. He could buy three ships like hers with the price of the blood-red ruby blazing on his little finger. Legal or not, something was off-kilter with this whole trip and she didn’t like it. Both of them were men with secrets. “Go ahead.” She kept her tone neutral. Ryol arched a black eyebrow at her. “I want to bring you up-to-date on my plans before we land. Are we on schedule?”

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“We are.” Ange took pride in the speed she’d managed to make despite the Hawk’s age. She knew how to nurse the last ounce of thrust out of her engines. “Splendid. I must commend you on meeting my rigorous schedule. I promised a bonus if we got to Kyffin by Federation Date Beta Fifteen. You’ve earned it.” Ange glanced at the doorway to the galley. In the control room just beyond, the dim gray of ’Tween space filled the forward screens. Soon they would emerge back into normal space and Kyffin’s blue-and-white surface would blaze in the viewports. It was an ocean planet with a smattering of small land masses. She wondered why Ryol was interested in this abandoned world. He spoke in the cultured accents of the upper class on Tau Delta, one of the hub worlds of the Second Federation. But she heard the melodious suggestion of another tongue when he grew excited. He’d grown up somewhere else—perhaps on Kyffin. His desperate need to reach that world within a certain timeframe was another oddity. Kyffin was an abandoned world. She’d checked the Federation records while they hurled toward it at top speed. No one from civilized space had landed there since the collapse of the First Federation over sixty years ago. What could possibly be so urgent that she had to risk burning out the Hawk’s engines? Questions, too many questions. “I’ve earned a double bonus, putting up with two brothers.” She smiled to let him know this was a joke, but his thin lips pressed together with irritation. Her stomach tightened, warning her of trouble ahead. Not for the first time, she regretted her lack of contact with men since her adolescence. She knew so little about how to judge them. She took another sip of her coffee to hide her nerves. Men! She should have thanked Blane and fled into her ship before he had a chance to open his sexy mouth. Too late now. At least they’d reach Kyffin a day ahead of the deadline he’d set for her when he’d booked her ship. She prayed their business wouldn’t take long. She’d count the days until she could dump them back on Tau Delta and hightail it to some other planet. “The bonus is yours. Cash as I promised.” Ryol reached into his pocket and pulled out a small purse. The gold shimmer around its edges told her it had its own protective energy field. This was a man who trusted no one. He touched it and a small opening appeared. His thin fingers groped inside, pulled out a wad of credits. “Here you are.” Smiling, he handed it to her. She thumbed through the bills. Two hundred decicredits as they’d agreed. A weight lifted from her shoulders. With this money, she could make long-needed repairs to the Hawk. Ryol got to his feet and snagged two cups from a counter at the back of the galley. She watched, puzzled, as he opened the thermo storage and pulled out a narrow dark bottle of Arturian wine he’d brought aboard. The seal popped as he broke it. Returning to the table, he set both cups down. As he poured the liquid into the first cup, he whistled a merry tune. “I insist we have a drink together to celebrate.” Pondering her passenger’s sudden friendliness, Ange slipped the decicredits into her pocket. She didn’t trust the man, hadn’t since the first moment he’d come aboard. Not that she trusted any man, but her instincts told her this one was dangerous. He’d kept a friendly look on his face as he poured her drink, but his eyes stayed the same. They never changed. Set deep under thick, dark brows, they were as black and as cold as the empty space between the stars. His thin lips, narrow chin and angular face added to his sinister look.

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He handed her a cup and poured another for himself. “To secrets!” Ange frowned at the strange toast. “To secrets!” she agreed after a moment’s hesitation and took a swallow. She coughed but managed not to choke as the liquor scalded her throat. Ryol took a deep gulp from his cup, and then set it down. “I like your service so far, captain. I had my doubts when you promised we’d reach Kyffin in time.” “No problem,” Ange said, although it had been a big problem, one requiring all her skills in navigation. To keep her promise, she’d taken risks and skirted the edges of dangerous areas of space, places where pirates were known to lay in wait for the unwary. Risks were part of the game, though, the adrenalin edge helping to make her otherwise empty life bearable. Ryol leaned forward, his eyes gleaming. Ange paused with her cup half way to her lips. Was the merchant coming on to her at last? She expected him to make a sexual overture at some point. Men always did. As hard as she tried to avoid the brothers, she knew her scent must be all over the ship. She’d expected she’d have to fight one or both of them off eventually. That male reaction was as certain as sin. Twice it had escalated into attempted rape. The first time she’d fought off her attacker. The second time Blane had saved her. Now she was paying the price for his help. Passengers! She didn’t want them. Jake was company enough, even if he was only a basic android with limited routines. A smug expression settled over Ryol’s sharp features. She braced herself to listen to the usual babbling paean of praise to her beauty and tried not to think of the first man who’d ever spoken to her that way. She’d been fourteen, her body just starting to transform from girl to woman. The man had been an engineer on one of the starships she grew up on. She’d blushed when he told her that her hair was spun sunlight and her eyes were emeralds. Then he’d pushed her into a dark corner and forced his passionate kisses on her. “Are you listening?” Ange heard Ryol’s voice from a distance as her memories overwhelmed her and she relived her struggle to break free from the engineer. He hit her across the face, stunning her, but she wiggled away and ran screaming down a corridor. “Captain Bennett?” Her screams echoed in her memory as she blinked at Ryol. She took control of her breathing and unclenched her hands. “Yes? Ryol aimed a crafty look at her. “I’d like to hire your ship full time. I need someone who can keep quiet about my business on Kyffin. I’ve had investigators looking into your background. Family gone. Apparently no friends. Private. In short, the kind of person I need.” Blane! Ange suspected he was the one who’d looked into her background. She stiffened, resenting his spying. But a childhood on crowded starships had taught her to keep her emotions hidden. “I fly my ship and mind my own business,” she said, maintaining control with an effort. She lifted her cup to her lips and took a deep drink of the wine, welcoming the relaxing warmth that flooded her body.

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“Exactly. If I can ask, is your family completely gone?” She blinked at this intrusion into her privacy. “The only relative I’ve ever known was my mother. She died in a docking accident three years ago.” “No male friend anywhere? Hard to believe a woman so beautiful has no one.” Giving him a cold stare, she put her cup down. “Listen, just because you’re paying me—” He lifted a hand, palm outward. “Sorry. What I am about to tell you is known to very few. And it’s the reason we’re headed for Kyffin at top speed.” The galley door opened and Blane stepped inside. Ange’s heart did a little somersault at the sight of him. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked from her to her brother. An angry look appeared on his face. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt.” “Quite all right.” Ryol gestured to the chair beside him. “Have a seat. I was about to tell the captain the purpose for our trip.” Blane hesitated, glancing from Ryol to Ange. Scowling, he sat down and hooked his thumbs in his belt. He studied his brother’s face. “I thought you wanted to keep your business on Kyffin a secret.” “I’ve decided to take the captain into my confidence. I’ll need a ship and a pilot.” Blane turned to Ange and arched an eyebrow. “And you’re for sale?” She stiffened at his tone. “I’m willing to listen to what your brother has to say.” A gloating smile appeared on Ryol’s lips. He reached into a side pocket of his richly embroidered robe and drew out a small glass bottle covered with exquisite etchings. Inside, a golden liquid glimmered. “This is what has made my fortune,” he murmured. “It’s a perfume. Perhaps you have heard of it. I call it Scent of Magic.” Ange shrugged. “Can’t say that I have. But I spend most of my time in deep space alone. Not much use for perfume there.” Blane leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “Come on. You know about Scent of Magic. Ryol gave you some to wear.” Her eyes flashed green fire. “I don’t know where you got that idea. I never wear perfume.” “And I don’t give away Scent of Magic.” Ryol’s fingers caressed the etched glass of the bottle. “It’s far too valuable to waste a single drop.” Ange folded her arms and glared at Blane. “So what is it? Besides something that smells good, I mean.” “It’s magical…powerful beyond belief.” Ryol whispered the words. His eyes glowed as he stared at the bottle in his hand. “The rich and powerful pay me a fortune for one of these vials. It’s as rare as the nectar of the gods and twice as costly. It’s also a powerful aphrodisiac, more powerful than any ever

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known, and those who wear it can have the heart of whomever they please.” “Good for them.” Unease pricked at Ange, lifting the small hairs on the back of her neck. More sensual scents. Although she discounted much of what Ryol said. No perfume was that powerful. She shifted in her seat and eyed Blane. His gaze hadn’t left her face since she’d denied ever wearing Ryol’s concoction. “This bottle is worth more than your ship,” Ryol said. He turned the small vial in his hand. She lifted her chin at that. “At least Hawk’s Flight is good for something. Besides seducing innocent people, that is.” Blane laughed. “You surprise me, captain. I thought all women loved perfume.” “Not me. I like my natural scent.” She turned to him, with a half smile. If he only knew what she could do to him with her scent, he’d run for cover. She didn’t need any help from Ryol’s perfume. One whiff of her and those incredible violet eyes would darken with passion. Had darkened. But he’d thought it was Ryol’s perfume. He didn’t realize it was her. She shivered, remembering the way his hands had scorched her skin. Better not to think about that. “Perhaps I need to convince you of Scent of Magic’s power.” Ryol narrowed his eyes and licked his lips in anticipation as he pulled the stopper from the bottle. Leaning forward across the table, he waved it under her nose with a triumphant smile. Her heart stopped. If desire had a smell, this was it. A fierce yearning flooded through her. The air shimmered with the delicate scent of roses scattered over silk sheets, ready for a night of love. Her head spun. The forest seemed to rise up around her, rich and dark and full of passion. The call of the wild earth echoed in her blood. She imagined Blane’s strong arms around her as the arousing scent of a lover’s body enveloped her. Blane! She glared across the table at him where he sat with his arms folded watching her. This was his scent, the scent of everything she’d ever longed to smell. She’d thought Blane was like her, that he shared her strange affliction. But no! His smell came from this bottle. She drew in a desperate breath, seeking more of the elusive aroma, even as anger surged through her. Tears blurred her eyes. A shining nimbus seemed to surround Blane. The strong planes of his face glowed with a fierce attractiveness. Gods, his mouth was full and sexy, demanding her kisses. Her mouth went dry and her cheeks flushed. A wave of liquid heat washed over her body. A fierce hunger surged into her consciousness—the hunger for a man to hold her, to caress her. The private place hidden between her thighs grew wet and began to throb as she stared into Blane’s eyes. In another moment she would turn to liquid and melt away, pooling into a puddle at his feet. Ryol’s cough startled her out of her mounting erotic daze. The merchant looked triumphant as he shoved the stopper back in the bottle. “You only got the slightest whiff, captain. The effect should wear off in a minute. Perhaps you see why I’ve become rich. The wealthy are willing to pay any price for a bottle of this perfume.” Ange pushed the wine aside. She was already drunk enough. She grabbed her coffee cup and lifted it to her mouth with trembling hands. She inhaled the strong aroma of the coffee until the rush of passion died away. Trying to hide her panicked fear, she took a drink and put the cup back on the table.

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“The scent creates uncontrollable desire. People will do anything to please the one who wears it.” Ryol sounded amused. Ange pressed her hands against her thighs to keep from reaching for Blane. Her heart thumped in her chest like that of a young girl with her first crush. A moment ago wild fantasies had burned in her mind, thoughts of dragging him back to her cabin, of kissing those sensual lips, baring her breasts for his touch. And all because of a perfume called Scent of Magic. At least she knew Blane’s secret. She could stop obsessing over him. Yet her body still hummed with lust. Goddess, help me, she prayed. She’d spent years corking her sensual longings in a bottle, unable to trust any man to control himself and quiet them, but one sniff of Scent of Magic had unleashed her unsatisfied desires full throttle. Her body throbbed with need, a need that could only be quieted by the throes of orgasm. “Are you all right? You look flushed.” Blane leaned toward her, concern in his eyes. I’ll be all right if I can ever stop thinking about getting you into my bed.Ange shivered, envisioning herself pinned beneath his muscled body as he slid into her. Her muscles clenched with desire. She tried looking at Ryol instead, but his gloating expression turned her stomach. “I trust you felt the power of my perfume.” His eyes narrowed to slits. She could almost see the calculations spinning in his brain. “Don’t worry. I’m not about to use it on you to entice you to obey my commands. I’m more than willing to pay for your services. I only show you the perfume to assure you that I am serious about reaching Kyffin.” She ran her tongue over her lips and fought to steady her voice. She couldn’t let Blane suspect the flames of erotic desire burning in her inner core. At least her flight jacket hid the way her nipples had hardened to tight little nubs of longing. “Kyffin has something to do with the perfume?” “Its essential ingredient is found only there. It’s our home world, you see. Blane and I are returning after ten years away. I need more of that ingredient. In the past few years my perfume has become tremendously popular among the elite of the Federation. Due to the increased demand, I need to plan on coming back to Kyffin often.” Sensual need throbbed through Ange’s veins, making her hands twitch with the urge to touch her aching flesh. Jumping to her feet, she moved around the two brothers. Blane grabbed for her as she went by, but she easily eluded his grasp. She glared his way as she reached the doorway that led to the control room of Hawk’s Flight. She’d be safe there. Moving around the control room helped to dissipate some of her torment. Jake sat in the pilot’s chair, monitoring the computer that ran the ship. She glanced at the screen that charted their course. They were headed for a five-planet system around a dull red sun. Kyffin was the third world out. She inhaled air into her lungs and fought to regain her sense of control. The powerful lust that had swept through her at the merest whiff of Scent of Magic frightened her. She made it a point to repress her sexual longings. There was no way to release them except in fantasy and the stroking of her hand. That had satisfied her before, but now it only reminded her of how alone she was—of how much she craved the touch of Blane’s warm fingers. She heard Ryol’s footstep behind her. His voice spoke from the doorway. “I need a ship to take me to

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Kyffin on a regular basis—piloted by someone who can keep a secret. You are an ideal choice. I’ll pay you well.” She whirled and found herself altogether too close to him. She backed away until her buttocks pressed against the main controls. Ryol did not follow after her, but his eyes flared with sudden interest. Gods, no! She didn’t need this man pressing his unwanted attentions on her. His brother was all she could handle and more. “Fine,” she said to keep him away. “It’s a deal. I’m your girl.” Her words spilled out. Jake turned his head and looked at her. She could almost hear the electrons spinning in his artificial brain. “Is something wrong, captain?” “No, Jake. Carry on.” Ryol rubbed his hands together, a satisfied look on his face. “Good. By the way, we may face a few rough moments when we land on Kyffin. The colonists will have to be dealt with for one thing—if any of them still survive.” “The colonists?” Somehow she’d assumed the colony had perished. Most of the colonies in the Abandoned Zone had died without the technology of the First Federation to support them. “New Hope was struggling but still viable when we left. Blane and I were lucky. A disabled freighter landed on Kyffin and needed two replacement hands. But I’m not sure how happy the rest of the colony was that we were the only ones to get a trip off-world.” He shrugged his shoulders. “You think they might hold a grudge?” “My sister might. Her husband had died, and we left her with two children to support.” Ryol smiled. “But I’ve come armed with bribes. Your cargo hold is full of food and supplies for New Hope.” Ange relaxed a hairsbreadth. She’d wondered what was in all those boxes. Ryol seemed lost in his moneymaking plans again, his momentary interest in her forgotten. Good. The merchant was less susceptible than most men to her uncanny charm but she’d just found out he was not immune. She’d have to be more careful. “Tomorrow will be a long day,” she said, seizing on any excuse. “Jake and I need to be alone to prepare for the final approach.” “Whatever you say.” Ryol paused for a long, greedy look at the screen that showed the third planet from the sun dead ahead. “Home at last—to a world of magic.” Magic?Ange frowned at the merchant’s retreating back. If Kyffin was so magical, why had he ever left it? And what ingredient did it possess to make such an unbelievable perfume?

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Chapter Four

Ange paused in the doorway to the landing bay and studied the two brothers. Ryol stood with his hands clenched at his sides as if ready for battle as he stared out the portal of the airlock. His rigid posture set off warning bells in her mind. Blane looked more relaxed. In contrast to Ryol’s rich merchant robe, he wore a soft brown tunic and pants tucked into knee-high boots of supple leather. She stepped into the bay, her footsteps clanging on the metal deck. Hearing her, Ryol turned from the viewport with a worried frown. “Nothing’s changed.” She stopped a safe distance from both brothers. “You sound surprised. Did you expect to find it different?” He hunched his shoulders and brushed a hand through his thinning black hair. “I suppose not. Guess I thought the colonists might be dead. Looks like most of them are kicking, though.” Ange coughed to hide her surprise at the unfeeling way he discussed the possible deaths of people he must have known very well. Hadn’t he mentioned a sister? She glanced at Blane to catch his reaction. He leaned against the outer wall of the bay and crossed his arms, his face impassive. Angry and not quite sure why, she made a small gesture of impatience. “You almost sound disappointed. I thought you said you left family behind on this world.” “I did.” Ryol had the grace to look embarrassed. “The colony was dying when we left Kyffin,” he added. “This is a pleasant surprise.” He didn’t sound especially pleased. Blane stared at his brother, scorn in his eyes. “Admit it. You expected them to be dead. Now you’ll have to give up those supplies. Still, it’s a cheap price to pay for what you’re getting.” “You’re mistaken, brother. I’m pleased,” Ryol said in a smooth voice. He turned to Ange. “There’s not much to survive on where the colony is located. Can’t farm. The forest that surrounds the buildings is almost impenetrable. We got by with a few garden plots near the main buildings and by hunting game.” Ange was about to ask why a colony had ever been located on such a site, but a sharp glance from Blane froze the question on her lips. The less she knew about the brothers’ business the better. She planned to walk away from the whole thing the moment they landed back on Tau Delta. Instead, she strode over to the port and cast a wary eye over the four concrete buildings set a short distance from the landing pad. The uncomfortable knot in her stomach tightened. She didn’t like setting down on an abandoned colony world with no knowledge about the situation. She’d love to send Ryol scurrying out of

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her ship—and good riddance. As far as she could tell, the man had ice water instead of blood in his veins. They’d landed a half hour ago, and so far they’d seen no sign of the colonists, although the ship’s sensors picked up life signs in the concrete buildings. Ange was certain they watched her ship from somewhere behind those windows, waiting for the hatch to open. If she were commanding the settlement and a strange ship had landed, she’d order it surrounded. The back of her neck pricked as she stared at the tall trees that encircled the small colony. The wide trunks formed a massive barrier and their shiny silver-green foliage hid anything that might lurk within that forest. Reaching for a switch, she flipped on the external sensors and cocked her head. The quiet outside was eerie. She didn’t blame the colonists for staying concealed in their buildings, waiting to see who or what would emerge from the Hawk’s Flight. She’d tried to radio the colony when she’d started her approach, but no one had answered her calls. Now the Hawk rested dead center on the landing pad, a mere half a kilometer from the buildings. To the colonists, her ship must loom as an unknown threat. Not that she had expected a warm welcome. A colony like this one, abandoned by the Federation, stranded on the edge of explored space, was on its own and visitors often had their own agendas. As Ryol and Blane Llewelyn did. She pursed her lips in disapproval as she took in the poor condition of the landing pad. “Looks like they don’t bother to maintain the landing facilities anymore, either. I’d bet we’re the first space ship to set down since you left.” Ryol’s lean face darkened. “They’re fools, then. Their only hope is for someone to land and offer them a way off this godforsaken planet.” Blane moved to a viewport and scanned the buildings. “We’ll want you to accompany us when we go outside.” It sounded like a command, not a request. Ange bridled. Ryol nodded in agreement and he’d paid her. “If you wish.” Lowering her head, she touched the communicator clipped to the neckline of her jacket and spoke to Jake. “I’ll be leaving the ship in a minute. Cover me.” “No worries, gorgeous. The gun is charged and ready to go.” Ange frowned. If she ever caught the programmer who’d added flippancy to Jake’s subroutines, she’d break his bones with her bare hands. She saw no humor in the situation—the colonists might well be hostile. It was comforting to know the ship’s laser gun guarded her back, but it was her front she was worried about. She made a rude sound into the communicator and tugged on her jacket. Like all her clothes, it was several sizes too large, its baggy shape hiding her body from prying eyes. She opened the front seam and pulled her stun gun free of its shoulder holster to check the charge. She tucked the holster back under her jacket where it couldn’t be seen, took a steadying breath and reminded herself that she was rough and tough, the product of a hardscrabble childhood. Whatever was out there, she would deal with it. Ryol had noticed her action. “I doubt there’s anything to fear, captain. We’ll be welcomed with open arms once they learn about the supplies in the hold.”

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Ange suppressed a grimace of disgust. “Yeah, but whoever’s watching us from those buildings doesn’t know about your bribes yet.” “I assure you, the colonists are a peaceful lot.” “Whatever you say. You’re the expert here.” Ange tugged her jacket into place and straightened her shoulders. If Ryol was so happy to be home, why did he keep running his hands through his hair? With a shrug, she tapped her fingers over the control panel to open the hatch to the airlock. “I’ll go out first,” she told the brothers over her shoulder. “Don’t follow until I give the all clear.” Holding her hands high in the air, Ange descended the ramp and walked out on the landing pad. Her nostrils twitched at the unfamiliar scents that assailed them. Kyffin stank. All worlds stank. Raised in space, she much preferred the filtered air she’d breathed most of her life. “We’ve come with supplies and food,” she shouted at the silent windows. “I’ve brought back two people you know—Ryol and Blane Llewelyn.” Ange paused at the bottom of the ramp, waiting, poised to make a life-or-death dash back into the ship if they opened fire. She’d done this more times than she liked to count on many of the lost worlds, taking risks for those who sought some rare product. A shout from the dull concrete building about forty meters from the ramp broke into her thoughts. “Ahoy, the ship!” She dug her nails into her palms and scanned the building for the source. To her relief, a door opened and a woman strode into view. “I knew both of them once,” the woman shouted as she walked toward Ange. Her pants were a size too big and patched at the knees, and the rough brown tunic she wore looked homespun. Gray streaked her long, braided hair. She crossed the empty space between the landing pad and the building with a determined stride and halted two paces away from Ange. Giving her a curt nod, she stared at the open cargo bay door. “Ryol and Blane are my brothers. Where are they?” A loud clang sounded at the top of the ramp as a boot struck metal. Ange tore her gaze away from the woman to glance over her shoulder. Ryol stood in the hatchway, his impatience obvious in his stance. “I told you to stay put until I gave the all clear!” she shouted. Curse the man. A passenger who couldn’t obey orders in a dangerous situation was trouble. Ryol started down the ramp, his lean face hard with some purpose of his own. “Sharlene knows me.” The woman standing in front of Ange let out a bark of bitter laughter. “Yes, I know him—too well.” Ryol walked past Ange and held out his hand to his sister. She ignored it. Disgust was written across her features. “I’m surprised you dare to show your face here again.” “Sharlene!” Blane’s shout came from the cargo bay door. His sister looked up and smiled.

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He pounded down the ramp and threw his arms around the woman, gathering her into a fierce hug. “You’re alive! Thank the gods!” “Blane.” Tears sprang into Sharlene’s eyes. “I knew you’d come back someday.” She turned to face Ryol. “But did you have to bring him?” Blane laughed and shrugged. “He paid for the trip.” His sister’s eyes widened. “How? Don’t tell me he—” Blane threw a warning glance at his sister. Ryol coughed. “Sharlene, I want you to meet Angela Bennett, the captain of the Hawk’s Flight.” Sharlene nodded, her gaze sweeping over Ange with no sign of friendliness. Dismissing her with a single look, she faced Ryol. Passion blazed in her gaze. “I can only think of one reason why you’ve returned to Kyffin. And if I’m right, you’re not welcome here. What you found in that meadow is not meant for humankind.” Ryol took a threatening step toward Sharlene. “I didn’t travel forty light-years to ask your advice.” Ange grabbed her passenger’s arm, pulling him up short, as two other men came running out of the building. Her fingers formed an iron vise, holding him still. “Watch it, you’re about to start a fight.” Sharlene held up her hand to the two men running to her rescue. “It’s okay.” At her signal both men stopped a few meters away, but their eyes watched Ange and her passengers with frank suspicion. “It’s Ryol and Blane. Go back to the others and let them know we’re not in any danger.” Both men looked startled and their suspicion changed to curiosity. Surprise and relief warred on their faces, but obedient to Sharlene’s command, they turned and headed back toward one of the buildings at a trot. Ryol yanked his arm free of Ange’s grip. His lips pressed into a thin line. He shot a quelling look at Blane. “So you blabbed about the meadow before we left Kyffin.” Blane glared at his brother. Ryol had grown accustomed to calling the shots as a rich merchant on Tau Delta. Well, now they were on Kyffin again. Things were about to change. He took Sharlene’s hand in his. “I told my sister. Why shouldn’t I? We both agreed that the meadow should be left alone.” He lifted his chin. “You may have forgotten that you took me from Kyffin against my will, but I haven’t.” Bitter memories flooded through him. The innocent way he’d boarded the trader ship, not guessing what Ryol had planned. The hard work deep in the hold, the sudden rumble of the engines. The flash of terrifying realization as he’d run to a viewport to see Kyffin fall away. His home, his friends, his family, gone, and Ryol laughing behind him.

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He caught Ange’s startled expression as she looked from one brother to the other. It was plain she’d just realized she was in the middle of a family fight. Ryol didn’t notice. He stared at Blane, hostility contorting his face. “The less said about the meadow outside our family the better. I’ve brought these people food and supplies. They’d be wise to welcome me. And if I kidnapped you, it was for your own good. You must realize what would have happened if you’d stayed here. I can’t believe you hold it against me.” Blane squared his shoulders. The wind blew a lock of long brown hair in his eyes and he brushed it away with an impatient hand. His own good, indeed. Ryol had always been talented at justifying his selfish actions. He’d sold Blane like so much excess baggage. Five long years spent as an indentured servant to pay for his passage off Kyffin. At the end, the traders had dumped him on Tau Delta with little more than the clothes on his back. Ryol had been long gone by then, off to make his fortune with Scent of Magic. A muscle in his jaw jumped. The memories were still raw. “Don’t expect gratitude from these colonists, Ryol. The only reason you’ve returned to Kyffin is because you want something—something better left alone.” Anger glittered in Ryol’s gaze. “Don’t you forget that we have a deal. I’ve brought the food and supplies for your precious colonists and I’ll do the rest, but only if you go through with your part of the bargain.” With an effort, Blane reined in his temper. He’d like to take Ryol and shake him like the overgrown wharf rat he was. But his brother was right. They had a deal. More was at stake here than his need for revenge. Ryol had betrayed him, and never regretted it, but he needed Ryol, his money and his influence, to accomplish his own purpose on Kyffin. He sighed. There was no way around it. “Relax, Ryol. I’m sticking to our bargain.” The deep growl of Blane’s voice sent little tremors of fiery sensation through Ange’s body. She shifted and his penetrating gaze fixed on her. She drew in a breath at the intensity of his look. She’d become so engrossed in this family squabble that she hadn’t noticed how close she stood to the three of them—especially Blane. A wave of powerful desire surged through her, making her toes curl inside her practical spacer boots. She frowned and swallowed with a dry throat. Curse Ryol and his Scent of Magic. Blane must be wearing the perfume. She hated the effect he had on her. Ryol turned to Sharlene. “We have a cargo hold full of medicine, food and other supplies for the colony. In return, I expect to conduct my business here without any interference.” Sharlene threw her hands into the air. “Have it your way. Blane will tell me what’s going on.” “Blane has a big mouth.” Ryol looked disgusted. Ange backed off and watched the family quarrel with a wary eye, her ears wide open for any clue to what their dispute was about. Anxiety tugged at her as she surveyed the bleak landscape around the small settlement. A dismal huddle of concrete buildings stood beyond the landing pad. They loomed against the sky, surrounded by forest. Behind them, a range of mountains dominated the horizon. She shivered, fighting a sense of claustrophobia. “Well, the supplies are welcome at any rate.” Sharlene said at last. Ryol nodded at Ange. “Will you see to the unloading? I’ll be in my cabin if anyone wants to see me.”

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Blane set his fists on his hips. “You mean to tell me you’ve come forty light-years and aren’t going to bother to walk the last few meters to see your sister and your friends?” Ryol drew himself up with offended dignity. “It seems you’re welcome, but I’m not. If anyone wants to see me, they can come to the ship. Or you can all go to hell!” “Why, you slimy—!” “Insults won’t help the situation,” Ange interrupted, stepping between them as Blane moved toward Ryol, his fists raised. Blane rounded on her. “What do you know about it? You can’t imagine what’s happening here.” “Watch it, Blane.” Ryol looked from one to the other with a sneer. “You’ll get the good captain angry.” “The captain is ignorant about the real reason why we’re here.” Ange saw emotion flash deep in Blane’s eyes. Frustrated, she rubbed her chin. What was going on between the brothers? It was hard to concentrate when her mind kept being diverted by Blane’s powerful masculine presence. She tried to get her conflicting feelings under control. She should feel insulted by his harsh manner. It was clear he despised her for her involvement with Ryol. Yet she continued to feel drawn to him. Get a grip. It’s only the perfume. Ryol plucked a white linen cloth from one of his pockets and dabbed at his forehead. “It’s hot in this blasted sun. I prefer the atmosphere of the ship.” “If that’s the way you want it.” Sharlene’s voice turned cold. “For the sake of the others in the colony, I’m not going to refuse your gifts, but you’re lower than a Sirean wart slug.” Blane laughed. “Not true, Sharlene. You’re insulting Sirean wart slugs.” As he spoke, he poked a finger at Ryol’s chest. Ange frowned, unsettled by the aggressive gesture even as another wave of attraction warmed her blood. There was no denying he was good-looking. But everything else was the perfume. Had to be. What she felt for Blane was no more real than the lust men had always felt for her. Ryol took another swipe at his brow with the handkerchief as he stared down at his brother’s finger poking into his chest. He clutched a medallion that hung around his neck and glared from Blane to Sharlene. “How many colonists have survived?” he demanded. Ange saw a shadow pass over the woman’s face. “Fifty.” “Then we’ve brought more than enough.” Ryol glanced up at the sky. “I don’t see either of the moons.” If his too-casual tone hadn’t alerted Ange, the way Blane’s shoulders jerked would have. The younger brother barked out a laugh. “They’re still up there. I saw them as we came in for a landing.” “Oh, yes.” A smug expression settled on Ryol’s face. “I don’t need to depend on you for information

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about the moons. It cost me a fair sum, but I had an astronomer back in the Federation access the old records on this colony and compute the moon cycles for me. The double risings will begin tomorrow night.” Blane lifted his eyebrows. “Your timing is excellent as always.” “I make my own luck,” Ryol said. He smiled at Ange’s puzzled expression. “Kyffin’s two moons rise at exactly the same time during one two-day period of the planet’s rotational cycle only.” Ange nodded her understanding. “That’s why you were in such a hurry to get here.” A smug smile turned up the corners of his mouth. “Yes. It was a last-minute decision to come now. I thought I had enough—no matter. I thought I could wait, but my business is increasing at an exponential rate.” The scorn in Blane’s eyes deepened. “You can’t miss a chance to make more money, you mean.” Ryol laughed. “That money got you here.” Blane squared his shoulders. “I’ve never taken a credit from you. I’ve earned my own way from the day I was hijacked aboard ship. I’ve only come along on this trip to get back to Kyffin—” “Fine,” Ryol interrupted. “Get back to your colonists if you’ve missed them so much.” Blood rose in Blane’s cheeks. “I need reassurance that you’re going to honor our agreement. Otherwise I won’t set foot in the meadow.” A dangerous gleam appeared in Ryol’s dark eyes. “I’ve brought the supplies. And as for the rest, that’s contingent on my getting what I need for Scent of Magic. You’re well aware of that.” Blane thrust out his jaw. “I’ll do what you ask. But I warn you—again—that the meadow is a dangerous place.” “Your warnings won’t stop me,” Ryol snapped. “See you there, brother.” With a sneer, Blane grabbed Sharlene’s arm and turned her back toward the colony buildings. The two of them walked away, deep in conversation. Ryol eyed Ange as if he’d forgotten her presence. “The excitement of returning to Kyffin seems to have affected my brother’s good judgment, captain. I might require your protection tomorrow tonight.” “In the meadow?” She lifted a questioning eyebrow at him. “Yes. I’ll explain the whole thing to you as soon as you’ve offloaded the supplies.” “Maybe you should talk to Blane, try to calm him down.” Ryol gave his head a negative shake, his eyes icy with anger. “Blane’s all bluster. He won’t hurt me, and he won’t stop me. There’s a fortune to be made tomorrow.”

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Chapter Five

Ange glanced toward the settlement. Blane and Sharlene were almost to the first concrete building. “It doesn’t sound as if we’ll be staying long on Kyffin,” she said to Ryol. He sniffed the air with distain. “No, I think not. If I am lucky I shall finish my business here in a few days. You’d better catch up to those two and see where Sharlene wants you to unload the supplies.” As he spoke, he started back up the ship’s ramp. Ange felt as if she’d been dismissed. She clenched her fists in frustration. She’d risked the Abandoned Zone to make this trip yet she had no clue what the two brothers had been arguing about. Maybe she could pump Blane for more information. He was angry at Ryol and angry men usually wanted to talk about whatever was upsetting them. Half turning, she took a final look at Hawk’s Flight. The hatch was shut already. Good. At least Jake could be trusted to obey her orders and stay inside guarding the ship until she got a better idea of what was going on. According to the ship’s library files, Kyffin was an unexplored world with nothing of obvious value. Most of the planet was covered by ocean. An ice age had buried the one big continent hundreds of meters deep under glaciers. Only a belt of mountainous volcanic islands near the equator was habitable. Humans had settled the planet more than a century ago, near the end of their first wave of expansion into the galaxy, because it was one of the few planets in the quadrant suitable for human life. The planners had probably intended to use it as a way station for further exploration. Then, a civil war within the Federation had brought an end to support for the colony worlds. Cut off from any help, many of them had perished in the fifty or so years before the Second Federation rose from the ashes of the First. It was easy to plunk down a colony on a world. Long-term survival was another story. Planets had a way of fighting back against the human race as it swarmed through the stars. A century had passed since first landing on Kyffin. The people here had been on their own for a long time. “Wait!” Ange hurried across the field between the landing pad and the small huddle of buildings. Hawk’s Flight had scanned the drab utilitarian structures from space. Now that she was on the ground, she could see the concrete had crumbled away in many places and the tall grass grew right up to the edges of the outer walls. From past experience, Ange knew that the four buildings contained apartments for the settlers and office and manufacturing spaces. She’d seen many such settlements. They were built for efficiency after first

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landing on a planet. Later they were torn down and their materials used to build real homes and other structures that reflected some sense of beauty and civilization. If the colony was a success, that is. Instead, New Hope had turned into Lost Hope. Blane stopped at the entrance to one of the buildings, turned and watched her come up to him. Sharlene whispered something in his ear and walked inside. Trying to ignore the violent flutter of her heart, Ange halted at a safe distance. A polite smile crossed her face “Look, I know you and your brother aren’t getting along. I want to help.” His incredibly sexy eyes blazed with anger. “I don’t need your help.” Something stung the back of Ange’s neck. She slapped her skin and made a face. Planets—weather and bugs and rotten smells. She rubbed the tender spot on her neck and listened to the eerie silence around her. She’d been on enough worlds to know they were noisy places. There was none of that here. No cheerful bird songs, no hum of bees. The forest and the jagged blue peaks of the mountain range rising beyond the clearing where the colony stood formed a depressing backdrop wherever she looked. Nature dominated, not man. A dull red sun shed its subdued light in a gray sky. A chill wind ruffled the tops of the pale yellow grass. Kyffin was a depressing world, made worse by the failure of the colony. Ange wondered why the original settlers had chosen such an inhospitable spot. Ryol had claimed the thick forest made farming difficult. And they’d settled too far from the sea to make fishing practical. Maybe the mountains held some rare minerals. Whatever had brought their ancestors, there weren’t enough colonists left for a viable future. Within a few decades the colony would be doomed to extinction. She tried to imagine struggling day-to-day for survival knowing in the end you would die and nothing would be left. Maybe Blane had a reason for his anger. She shivered and forced a light tone into her voice. “Looks like it’s been a struggle.” He arched his brows. “You might say that. Originally, five hundred came here. Barely got the buildings up when the Federation decided to have its glorious civil war. Half the colony left then, fleeing back to their home worlds.” He laughed. “They were the smart ones.” Ange groped for something positive to say. “They’re doing better than most lost colonies if they’ve kept the machinery running.” “A lot of it is self-repairing. The problem is parts. Sharlene just told me they haven’t seen a supply ship—or any ship—land for ten years. Not since my dear brother kidnapped me.” He shrugged his shoulders, disgust on his face. Ange tried to look sympathetic. “It must be tough to see what’s happened in your absence” Blane’s expression hardened. “Exactly. I’m surprised Ryol dares to show his face.” Ange was surprised, too. Whatever his reason for returning, it must be something important. Blane seemed to know what it was. A question formed on her lips just as her nose started to tickle in an

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alarming way. She held her breath but the tickle only intensified. A moment later an explosive sneeze racked her lungs. “Dirt balls!” She stomped her foot, which resulted in a puff of dirt. The wind caught it and blew it up toward her nostrils. She sneezed again and cursed. Blane looked away, his lips twitching. Amusement rumbled in his voice. “I take it you’re not too impressed with my home world.” “I prefer space. I’ll be glad when I can get off this stinking planet.” To her surprise, he looked offended. “Maybe you’d better join Ryol on the ship.” She bit her lip. The man might be sexy as hell but he was touchy, stubborn, ornery…she controlled her anger and forced a brisk, businesslike tone into her voice. “I need to offload the cargo and make sure your brother can finish his business.” Remembering his earlier threat, she felt compelled to add a warning. “If you interfere, I’ll stop you.” “How do you intend to do that? You have no inkling what Ryol plans to do.” Ange put her hands on her hips. “I would if you’d tell me.” “You’d better ask Ryol.” Blane turned on his heel and marched into the building without a backward glance. “Listen, you—” Ange glared at his back as he disappeared. Two brothers, and both of them jerks. She scuffled a foot through the dust, wondering what she was going to do. Would she even be in this situation if it weren’t for Blane? With a sigh, she remembered that he’d rescued her from an attempted rape. Shaking her head, Ange hurried through the door after him. She had to find out what these two brothers were up to. “Oh, hello!” She pulled to a halt, half-blind in the darkness of the building’s interior. She could just make out three figures. Sharlene stood to one side while a second woman embraced Blane. Their chatter stopped when they saw her. Jealousy seized Ange’s heart as she darted a glance from one to the other. This strange woman must have known Blane once, maybe even lived in the same building with him—knew him intimately, no doubt. Instantly, she found herself wondering how intimately. “Hello.” The woman who’d hugged Blane tossed a long, blonde braid over her shoulder and directed an icy stare at Ange. “Blane tells me you brought him home.” “Yes, I did.” She wet her lips. Her thin face made her hungry brown eyes look huge. “Quite a ship you’ve got. Big. How many crew members do you have?” The short hairs on the back of Ange’s neck stirred. She’d heard stories of people in abandoned colonies who’d tried to take over ships when they landed. She eyed the three of them, glad for the stun gun concealed under her jacket. “Enough,” she lied, hoping Blane wouldn’t contradict her.

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“Leave the lady alone, Marirose.” Unexpectedly, Blane came to her defense. “She only just landed. She doesn’t want to be pestered with questions.” Marirose laughed, her brown eyes warming with some inner amusement. “Whatever you want. You must remember how eager I always was to please you.” A saucy grin swept across her face and her hand stroked Blane’s arm. Blane wrapped his arms around both women’s waists and turned toward a corridor with what seemed like practiced ease. “Shouldn’t you two be getting back to let the others know what’s going on?” “They’ll want to hear what you have to say,” Sharlene reminded him, pulling free of his grip. Blane stopped and stared down at his sister, his manner clearly conveying that she’d have to wait. “Tell them to be patient. I’ll meet with everyone as soon as I can. The captain and I need to discuss offloading her cargo first. Don’t we, captain?” “Of course. That’s why I’m here.” “Is it?” He turned on her, his eyes bright in the dim light. “I thought you were here to collect the money and run.” Marirose giggled with pleasure at Blane’s outburst. He glared at both women and they retreated down a corridor. Ignoring Ange, Blane turned on his heel and headed in the opposite direction. Ange had half a mind to leave him to his snit, but she’d contracted to deliver the cargo and that was what she intended to do. She followed him and caught up. Seeing the angry look on his face, she decided on a professional approach. “I’ll arrange to offload the supplies anywhere you want.” “You’re a real angel of mercy.” His long stride took them deeper into the warehouse building. No one was around. The few windows they passed were covered with dust. “I’m doing my job. And I’m not your brother.” He stopped and stared down at her. She planted her hands on her hips and met his challenging look with her own. After a minute, his lips twitched and then dazzling white teeth flashed in his sun-browned face. A dimple appeared on his cheek. Ange’s heart gave a little thump. Her knees grew weak. “No, you’re certainly not,” he said in a gruff voice. “Follow me.” Turning again, he led the way through a maze of hallways. Ange was amazed that he remembered the way without hesitation after so many years. They passed through a long-deserted office space and came out into a large, echoing room in the back. “The colony’s warehouse, such as it is.” She glanced around. “It’s empty.” “Well, yes, we’d used up our supplies even before I left. But as you see, there’s still equipment to offload your ship.” He pointed at two trucks with cranes parked in a far corner. A battered desk occupied the corner where they were talking. He crossed over to it and sat down on the scarred top. “If you’ll open the ship’s cargo hatch, I’ll unload it and make sure it’s divided up fairly among the colonists.”

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The pale sunlight from the window behind him outlined his broad shoulders and caught the gold strands in his dark brown hair. Ange took in a long breath and stepped closer. “I’m sure you’ll be fair,” she murmured. “Are you? You don’t even know me.” He raised one dark eyebrow. She took another step closer, aware that for the past hour he’d been as careful to keep some distance between them as she was. His evasiveness intrigued her. She was close enough now to catch his masculine scent. He smelled of sunlight and forest and wide open spaces. He smelled of a whole world she’d never known. Was it Scent of Magic that enchanted her, or was it him? She had to know. Her legs grew weak as fire blazed to life and heated her center. The sound of her quickened breathing echoed through the open space. He narrowed his eyes and got to his feet again. Close up, he towered over her by a head. A guarded look appeared on his face as he gripped her shoulders. The violet eyes that stared into hers were unexpectedly kind. “I know you’re attracted to me, but you have no idea why. What you’re feeling right now is not real.” She shivered, sure the growing lust coursing through her body showed in her expression. Her skin practically smoked wherever he touched her. Her insides flamed with desire. She licked dry lips and concentrated on his words. He was trying to warn her that she was reacting to his scent, not to him. Her heart warmed at his honesty. He didn’t need to tell her. He had no idea she suffered from the same curse. He’d only caught her scent once, and then he’d thought she was wearing Scent of Magic. But she wasn’t. He was the one wearing Scent of Magic. Or was he? Suddenly uncertain, she pressed her body against his rock hard chest. She ran her hands over his shoulders, enjoying the sensation of his well-defined muscles under her palms. “It feels real.” Her eyelids fluttered closed and she succumbed to his enticing aroma for a sensuous moment. “An illusion.” He traced her jaw line with a gentle finger and smiled. As he bent over her, she heard him take a deep breath, knew he was inhaling the fragrance of her hair. “Ahhh—” A low, soft sound of pleasure came from his throat. He swallowed and his voice took on a wondering note. “You smell—delicious. Wonderful. You smell like—like springtime when the world was young. Like magic.” “So do you.” Once again his masculine aroma transported her to another world, a world that shimmered with desire. She molded her body to his, breathing harder, and ran her hands slowly, seductively up the strong pillars of his thighs. His body radiated heat and sex. Her pupils widened, drinking him in, until the dim light from the windows behind him blinded her. Surrounded by a radiant nimbus, he blazed with light like a god. She arched her brows. What was wrong with her? She knew better than to stand here with her nose pressed against his chest, breathing him in. Whether the scent was his or the perfume’s, she knew what it

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could do. She was the captain of a starship, a clear-headed woman with heavy responsibilities. Not some sex-crazed teenager looking for a bit of excitement. “Ange.” His voice was a whisper, the soft expiration of his breath stirring her hair. His cheek brushed across her temple, his silky hair caressing her skin. She shuddered from her head to her toes as he nibbled on the lobe, his warm breath blowing into the delicate shell of her ear. Closing her eyes, she lifted her face and waited for the kiss she knew was about to come. His mouth descended, his lips slashing across hers with fierce eagerness, exploring, tasting. His kiss was masterful, possessive, like a brand searing her heart. His hands dropped from her shoulders to her waist. Drawing her up against the massive barrel of his chest, he plundered her mouth. She could feel his heart pounding as he held her close, could taste his tongue entering her mouth, probing with a boldness that enraptured her. She wanted to pull away, wanted to flee back to the safety of the Hawk’s Flight where her position of captain wrapped her in a cocoon of safety, away from the attentions of this brash male. It always started with this wild desire but it always ended the same—badly. She drew in a shaky breath. She was going to tell him to slow down just as one of his hands slid up her side and cupped the fullness of one breast. They stood frozen in a tableau. His hand settled on her breast as if taking possession.

***

Breathing hard, Blane kissed Ange’s lush red mouth and trailed a line of kisses down her neck. She had a long, slender neck, a neck that invited leisurely exploration. He heard her take a sharp breath. A smile touched his mouth as he slowly tightened the fingers that cupped the proud mound of her breast. Her inhale turned into a hiccup of surprise. She gasped with pleasure as he squeezed the soft flesh through her thick jacket. Dammit, the woman had on too many clothes. He burned to feel her under the palms of his hands, to caress her satiny skin, to explore the hidden secrets of her body. He’d kiss his way down her neck to those lush breasts while his hand ventured lower to explore her stomach and slide over her silken thighs. His imagination caught fire at the thought of her opening her legs to him, exposing her moist and ready womanhood. He hardened in anticipation. Not so fast!a part of his brain yelled.You don’t dare tell this woman the truth about Kyffin, and besides that, Ryol’s the one who’s paying her. He tried to control himself, to stop raining kisses on her neck and lips, but the smell and the taste of her drove him wild. She smelled like the spring rain, like a breeze blowing across a crystal clear pool. He wanted to take her up into the mountains, to the secret places that only he knew. He’d missed the wild and rugged beauty of Kyffin, and longed to return to his old haunts. He would show her his hidden valley with its magnificent waterfall and lay her down on the wet rocks below the rushing water. The sparkling spray could drench both their naked bodies. He would possess her there with the water roaring around them and his blood roaring in his ears.

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She groaned as he squeezed her breast again. The soft, vulnerable sounds she made shot through him, arousing lusts long dormant. He shook with the desire to see her naked and spread open before him. Gripping her buttocks with both hands, he lifted her up. She was as light as the air in his arms. He swung her around and set her on the desktop. Her face blazed with an answering passion that fed the growing fires within. He pushed between her legs, bending over her. His hands tangled in her hair and her arms looped around his neck as they pressed closer. Even through her jacket, her body heat reached out to him like a warm, inviting furnace. Passion pounded through his veins as he kissed her. Their tongues tangled together, stroking in an ancient rhythm, while his hands groped to tear open the sealed seam of her jacket. The urge to push her down and rip off her clothes mounted. This must be how women felt when he— The thought sent him staggering backward, staring at her in amazement. The intense passion she aroused in him—it was almost as magical, as inexplicable as the effect he had on women. Was it possible? Were they two of a kind? But how could it be? She’d never landed on Kyffin before, and certainly had never been to the meadow. He took another step back, putting distance between them, getting away from her heat and her honeyed aroma. He’d spent the voyage lusting after her; sure she’d doused herself with Ryol’s Scent of Magic. But she’d denied it. Convincingly. Besides, he knew his brother. Ryol was too damned cheap to give away even a single drop of Scent of Magic. He’d wanted to think her scent came from the perfume. But if it didn’t, then how could he explain her smell—the delicious smell? There had to be some connection, although he couldn’t imagine what at the moment. Her enticing fragrance faded as he backed away. At the same time, the disturbing questions crowding his mind dampened his lust. His pounding heart began to slow. He took several deep breaths, giving the fire within a chance to die to a slow smolder. Ange sat on the desk, watching him with a dazed expression. Her mouth looked swollen from the passionate kisses he’d pressed on her lush lips. Her half-closed eyes and ruffled curls gave her a sultry look. Yet as he watched he saw alertness return to her expression. Her eyes widened as she stared at him. She straightened her clothes and shivered all over as if shaking off a dream. Her tawny curls bounced around her elfin face as she shook her head in disgust. She looked pale in the slanting sunlight through the window. “What just happened?” she demanded. “Why did we come at each other like two lusting animals?” He wiped his mouth with his hand, nauseated by his behavior. Now he understood the hatred in women’s eyes, afterwards. Thank the gods, he’d retreated to his studio and his art years ago. She lifted her chin, regarding him with defiance. He drew in a sharp breath at her proud beauty. His hands itched to sculpt her curves into stone so all the worlds could marvel at such perfect form. “It was your scent. The Scent of Magic.” He heard doubt in his voice. His ability to attract was a gift from the meadow. He knew that. But where was hers from? He rubbed his aching temples, puzzled.

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“I told you I don’t wear that damned perfume.” She rose to her feet and glared at him. “You’re the one who has access to it. And I don’t like being seduced by an aphrodisiac.” Blane scowled. She thought he was using Scent of Magic on her. As if he needed a perfume to enhance the effect he already had on women. He laughed without humor and slanted a sideways look at her. “I’m not sure the two of us need an aphrodisiac when we’re together.” Her eyes widened at that. Color mounted in her cheeks. He wanted to reach out, cup her delicate chin with his hands, protect her, but from what? From him? “I don’t normally behave in this way.” Eyes full of suspicion stared at him. “Do you?” “Never before.” It was the simple truth. Women had thrown themselves at his feet after the meadow, but he’d never experienced a similar attraction for someone else. He folded his arms across his chest and pondered her. She was an anomaly. She ought not to be. She’d never been to the meadow. How could she have this effect on him? Maybe there were other meadows on other worlds. Maybe she’d stumbled on one. If so, their attraction wasn’t real. It was all based on the scent…the scent of magic indeed. His heart filled with an unexpected sorrow. He’d started to think the emotions that churned through him whenever he got close to her were something real. He’d given up all hope of feeling real love long ago. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, spreading his hands in apology. “I am, too.” She ran a nervous hand through her thick curls. Her eyelashes fluttered down, hiding her gaze. His heart melted to see her so vulnerable. “It’s been a while, you know. I have to keep a distance from most men.” She rubbed her hands against her thighs and glanced around with an embarrassed grin. “I’ll admit I get a bit horny from time to time, but I’ve never exploded with desire before.” He had to smile at that. “What about Ryol?” She laughed with pure amazement. “Ryol! He’s the last man in the universe I’d be attracted to. What about you? No other women back in the Federation?” “None like you,” he said, to his surprise. She gave him a skeptical look. “There must be someone.” His eyes darkened. “I told you—there’s no one. What women feel for me—it’s not love. I know that. And I’m not willing to settle for second-best in my life.” Ange shuddered and looked away. They shared the same bizarre problem. She toyed with the idea of telling him so, but she didn’t want to feel linked to Blane, not right now. “There must be someone,” she insisted. “Marirose seemed glad to see you.” He shrugged. “She’s a friend from years ago, nothing more. She hugged me because she’s overjoyed at the prospect of a decent meal finally.” “Oh.” Ange looked down at the floor. “Life here must be miserable. Have the colonists ever considered

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leaving this planet?” His face turned cold again. “How? I just told you the Hawk is the first ship to land since Ryol and I left.” Ange realized her blunder. She certainly didn’t want to evacuate the colonists. That would cause too many problems. Ignoring his question, she turned the conversation to Ryol. “How did your brother get you two on the merchant ship?” Blane frowned at the memory. “It was a trading ship. Not that they expected to find anything worth trading for on Kyffin. They’d taken some damage in a fight with pirates and had to run for their lives. They were far off course when they landed here, as you can imagine. They wanted some place where they could lay low while repairs were made. They’d lost a few of the crew, too. Enough to make it worthwhile to take us on and train us as space hands.” “Why you and Ryol?” “We both had some mechanical skills. Ryol made the deal with them to indenture us in return for a trip back to the Federation when our time was up. Then he tricked me onto the ship on the pretense that we’d been hired to do one small repair. The next thing I knew we were taking off.” “Your brother’s done well since.” Blane snorted. “That’s because of the meadow.” The meadow again. Blane regarded her with a steely expression. “My brother is not welcome on Kyffin. He couldn’t care less about the colonists. He’s come back for something else.” “Care to tell me what?” “Why should I?” “Because I don’t involve Hawk’s Flight in anything illegal.” Ange tilted her chin in the direction of her ship. “Admirable sentiments, captain. You’d better not help my brother, then.” “I have a duty to watch out for my passengers. Were you serious about trying to stop him if he goes to the meadow?” Blane ran his fingers through his hair with an exasperated look. “I’m always serious. This is between my brother and me. And there’s no danger—except to his purse. He needs me near that meadow tomorrow night. And I won’t hurt him; just throw a wrench into his plans.” Ange fought for patience. “Why?” Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the door they’d come through opening. A boy with a tousled blond head stared at her with two huge blue eyes. Blane’s answer claimed her attention. “What he found in the meadow should not be for sale. It will cost him his soul one day.”

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Ange raised an unbelieving eyebrow. Blane was giving her the runaround. Behind him, the small boy stepped away from the door and eyed her, his thumb planted in his mouth. Against her will, she found herself smiling at the boy. She seldom saw children in space and they always charmed her. She pushed the momentary distraction from her mind and forced anger back into her voice. “Your refusal to tell me what’s happening is not helping—” Her tirade was interrupted by a tug on her pants leg. She looked down to see the boy at her side. He wore patched pants and his dirty feet were bare. He lifted his small chin to look up at her, a ball in his hand. “Are you a starship captain?” he asked. She dropped down on her haunches to meet his gaze. “Yes, I am. Who are you?” Innocent blue eyes stared at her. “I’m Michel. I sneaked out when Mum wasn’t looking. I saw you come this way. I want to go and see the starship.” “We’ll be here for a few days, Michel,” she said gently. His wide-eyed stare was filled with wonder. “My Mum said starships never stop on Kyffin anymore, but you did. Can I get a ride on your starship?” Blane bent over the boy. “Michel! Are you Sharlene’s son?’ “Yes.” He smiled up at the tall man. “Mum says you’re my uncle.” Blane laughed in delight. Reaching down, he scooped the boy off his feet and swung him up on his wide shoulders. “You can ride on my back, Michel, while I take you back to your mother.” He threw a challenging look at Ange. “I doubt a busy starship captain has time to cater to a child’s dream.” Ange’s cheeks burned at the scorn in his voice. Who did this man think he was to criticize his brother and expect favors from her? She straightened up and pulled a piece of candy from her pocket for the boy. “Sorry, I’d love to take you if I could, Michel. But flying a starship is expensive.” Blane sneered at her, his face showing anger again. “What’s the matter? No time for an interstellar nursery? No, I guess not. You’ll be too busy helping my brother. The two of you deserve each other.”

Chapter Six

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Blane watched the anger mount on Ange’s face. She barely came to his shoulder, but she had a commanding presence. He liked feisty women. If only he’d been shanghaied onto her ship. The thought kindled his lust again. He pressed his lips together in a tight line, fighting to hang on to his anger. Best to ignore the way his heartbeat quickened whenever he caught a whiff of her alluring feminine scent. “Insult me if you want,” she snapped. “I wouldn’t find myself in this situation if it weren’t for you.” He lifted an eyebrow, realizing the truth of her remark. It was unfair to blame her for any of this. His tense muscles relaxed, his body warmed again by the powerful nudge of attraction. Maybe she was a potential ally in his battle with Ryol. Well, it never hurt to charm a woman. He flashed his smile, aware of its magnetic power, and was gratified to see a faint trace of red appear on her high cheekbones. His arousal pressed against his pants as he remembered the silky feel of her lush lips. A hot-blooded female was concealed underneath those baggy pants, tunic and jacket. His exploring hands had found gentle curves and soft flesh. His eyes narrowed as he noted her right hand patting her jacket. Her gun hand was far too twitchy for his taste. Maybe he should have ignored those luscious breasts and explored a bit further down her body instead. “It should be obvious by now that Ryol hasn’t returned out of love for his family,” he said and smiled at her with offended innocence. Ange stared at him. Her breasts rose and fell with her breathing. “The Hawk’s Flight is my ship and I take pride that she’s an honest one. I’ve never aided anyone engaged in any illegal activity. Are you claiming he came back to do something wrong?” Close up, her eyes were the brilliant green of a forest leaf when the sun shone through it, and her tawny blonde hair seemed woven of the gold radiance that graced the evening sky. With an effort, he tore his gaze away from the fragile beauty of her face and glanced out the warehouse window. He could see the landing pad where her starship gleamed against a dark backdrop of trees. “Yes, my brother has a secret reason for his return. One I don’t like.” “Yipee! There’s the starship!” a small voice yelled. Michel had settled in to his perch on Blane’s shoulders and gotten a glimpse out the window. He gripped Blane’s neck with his thighs and swung his bare heels against the wall of his chest. “Get going! Take me there!” Blane winced more with annoyance than pain as the boy’s feet drummed against his body. “Calm down, Michel.” Ange grinned at the boy with genuine friendliness. Blane’s heart melted dangerously at the sweetness in her smile. She tucked a stray lock of pale gold hair behind one ear. “The Hawk’s Flight is not ready to go back into space yet, Michel. There’s a long checklist to go through first.” “That’s okay. We can pretend.”

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“Yikes!” Blane shouted as Michel pulled on his ears with his small hands. “Stop that.” “I want to ride on the starship,” Michel chanted. “Take me there, Uncle Blane.” His hand struck Blane on the shoulder, urging him to get moving. Amusement sparkled in Ange’s eyes. “The boy thinks you should give him a ride. He must have mistaken you for a horse.” He laughed, matching her smile with his own. “I’ve been called worse, captain.” “Ange.” Her voice softened with seductive undertones as she repeated her name. He wondered if she realized that longing shone in her eyes. “Call me Ange.” “Let’s go,” Michel repeated, drumming his heels in a quick rhythm. Blane wanted to move closer, to examine that look in her eyes, to taste her lips again. But Michel could not be ignored. He shot her a pleading look. “Can we at least visit the ship, Ange?” As he spoke, the boy grabbed two handfuls of his hair. Ange’s smile faded as she imagined a ship full of small children running around, demanding to be amused. “I would rather the ship remain off limits,” she said, her voice cold once more. “It’s no place for children to play.” “I see.” The warmth in his eyes died. Feeling disappointed, Ange swallowed hard. Blane’s male scent drew her with almost painful force, but he was a man and men were trouble. “I need to get Jake started unloading the cargo. With luck, we can have it off Hawk in a few hours.” “I’m sure you are a model of efficiency.” Blane’s lips twisted in disgust. He reached up and untangled Michel’s hands from his hair, then gently lifted the boy off his shoulders and placed him on his feet again. “Run along. There’ll be no visiting the starship.” Casting an unhappy look at Ange, the boy ran off. Ange found herself drowning in Blane’s deep violet stare. “He seems like a great boy.” “A great boy with no future.” Ange bit her lip as she stared at the empty warehouse with its message of scarcity. This was Michel’s future. Blane had a point. His demanding gaze probed hers. “If you really want to help the colonists, Captain Bennett, I’ll tell you what you can do. Take Michel and the other children off this world. This is the first starship to stop here in ten years and it may be the last for another ten. These children deserve a life—a real life—somewhere where there is still hope.” Ange lifted a restraining hand. “Wait a minute. I’m running a starship, not a nursery.” He gazed at her with contempt. “So much for your humanitarian concern, then.”

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He turned and marched out the door, leaving her standing alone, her cheeks burning with guilt. Muttering a curse on the whole Llewelyn family, Ange found a door to the outside and headed back to her ship. After instructing Jake where to begin offloading the supplies, she strode down the corridor that led to Ryol’s cabin. Reaching his door, she raised her fist and struck it a solid blow. She meant to have some answers. “Who’s there?” “It’s Captain Bennett.” The door opened a crack. Ryol stared at her; his dark eyes glittered with cunning. “Ah, yes. We need to talk, captain. I’m sure you have some questions for me.” As he spoke, Ryol pulled open the door to his cabin and moved back. Ange stepped inside. Hawk’s Flight was no luxury liner and Ryol’s quarters were small. A bed was shoved against the far wall and a stiff-backed chair occupied the other corner. To the right was the tiny head. The only other wall held a closet for clothes. Ryol reached into a cooler at the foot of the bed and pulled out two tubes of beer. “My personal stash. Care to join me in a drink, captain?” He broke the seal and handed her a tube. “It’s about time you told me what you’re here for.” Ange took the icy cold beer from him. She retreated to a chair on the far side of the cabin, as far from Ryol as she could get, and perched on the edge. She was determined not to leave until she had some answers. “As you may have gathered, I’ve made this journey to visit the meadow my brother keeps babbling about.” She let out an exasperated sigh. “I understood that much. Obviously, your brother thinks you’re doing something wrong. I’m not here to judge you. But I am concerned about whether it’s legal or not. I’ve got a license to protect. You’d better cough up some information.” Ryol plopped down on his bed and leaned forward. “I’ve decided to tell you. You run a good ship with a clean reputation. I plan to continue to use your services, so I’ve decided it’s best to advise you about why I’ve come to Kyffin. But I warn you, you’re not going to believe me.” Ange leaned back in her chair and surveyed her passenger. “Try me. I’ve visited my share of scum-hell worlds. Not much surprises me.” His teeth flashed. “This might. Tell me, captain, do you believe in faeries?” “What?” She laughed. “Sure I do, and pixies and gremlins and ghosts. What do you think? I’d better hear a straight story pretty darn quick or Hawk’s Flight is leaving, and you can find some other way to finish your business.” His expression hardened. “I am telling you the straight story, so put your preconceptions aside for a moment and listen. This is an alien world, remember. It was certified uninhabited before the first colonists landed, but once they were settled strange things started to happen.”

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“Strange things always happen.” Ange rolled her eyes. “I’ve heard this tale on a hundred worlds. The settlers start seeing balls of light in the distant hills, or unknown objects in the sky or mysterious beings who vanish the moment they are spotted.” “Scoff if you want. That’s what happened, yes. But what the settlers saw turned out to be real. I’m talking about faeries—or at least shining creatures with luminous wings of light.” Ange suppressed a chuckle. Ryol’s lack of honesty was irritating, but at least he was fairly inventive in his lies. “Faeries, is it? I’ll bet you have a lot of people here with Celtic blood in their veins. We humans take our folklore with us, wherever we go.” “An interesting idea.” Ryol drummed his long fingers on his knee. “An even more interesting idea is that our folklore wants to go with us humans wherever we go.” She frowned. “I’m not sure I follow. Are you suggesting these are Earth faeries and that they followed the settlers here to Kyffin?” “Maybe. Or maybe they were here all along. Maybe these shining creatures, whatever they are, are spread throughout the galaxy, or inhabit a universe parallel to ours. In legend their land was called the Otherworld. It could be that they are highly evolved beings and humanity is only now catching up to them. Or perhaps their technology is so advanced the inhabitants of ancient Earth considered it magic.” Ange shook her head. “And to think you struck me as a man with no imagination. Okay, what do these so-called faeries have to do with the meadow your brother mentioned? I gather that’s some sort of dark family secret.” Ryol lifted his can of beer and took a long swallow, then set it down on the floor and wiped his lips. “Years ago when I was a teenager, I often climbed the mountain to get away from the settlement. My dad had died and my sister—Sharlene—delighted in finding endless tasks for me to do. I climbed high and sometimes I was gone for days. But I would gather fruit and nuts to bring back and that served as my excuse.” She looked at his hard face. It was difficult to imagine this driven man any younger, any less intense, but she supposed even Ryol had once had a childhood. “It was while I was climbing in the mountains that I saw the faerie lights. At first I thought I was seeing things, but soon I became convinced they were real. By then the settlement had existed for almost seventy years and it was well-known in local lore that the lights only appeared when both moons rose together—something that only happens once a year for two days. I knew I had to act fast.” “So you chased these lights?” “I marked out the area on the mountainside where I saw them and over the next day I narrowed down my search. That night, I found the meadow.” The meadow. He said the words as if they held great significance. She raised an eyebrow. “And?” “The faeries were there. They materialized out of nowhere when both moons rose together. As moonlight played across the field, they began to dance and danced until the first rays of dawn appeared.”

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“A faerie dance?” She attempted a smile but Ryol’s serious look didn’t change. He pointed a finger at her as if daring her to believe his words. “A faerie dance on such a hard, cold world as this. Difficult to accept. I could hardly believe it myself. I never told Sharene about it. She would have laughed and accused me of making up a tall tale to excuse my absence.” “I can understand that.” Ange lifted her tube to her lips and tasted the beer. It was dark and bitter, like coffee left too long in the pot. Ryol stared past her, a faraway look in his eyes. “Tomorrow will be the first night of another planetary year, and the faeries will come out of their Otherworld, wherever it might be, to dance in that meadow.” Ange took another swig of beer. It was going to take a lot more alcohol before she could swallow such nonsense. Did Ryol expect her to believe him? A cold fear snaked its way up her spine. He had to be hiding some dubious activity behind this wild tale. But what? It was beginning to smell like something illegal. She’d always drawn the line there, no matter how desperate her need to keep Hawk’s Flight fueled and supplied. She widened her eyes and gave him what she hoped was a naïve look. “All right—say for a moment I believe in faeries, even ones that dance. What makes all this matter enough to come halfway across the galaxy?” He leaned forward. “You may believe me or not, but when the faeries dance, they leave behind a dust.” Faerie dust! She bit down hard on her inner lip to keep from bursting out in laughter. “I see you’re skeptical. I discovered it by accident. After their dance, as soon as they had vanished, I gathered up enough courage to walk into the field. Some of the dust settled on me. It has a strong—er—effect.” Ange’s mouth twitched. “A magical effect, no doubt.” Ryol half rose from the bed. “If you don’t want to hear my story—” “No, no, sit down.” The man was paying her a handsome fee after all. He shrugged and sat. “As I was saying, I discovered the dust by accident. Once I found out about its effect, I gathered some. A mere handful. I had to wait for the dance the following year to get another handful. The dust is very light and blows away on the slightest breeze. I scoured the meadow like any farmer looking for the last grain of his crop, only the precious substance I harvested is almost invisible. I use the rare grains as the primary ingredient in Scent of Magic.” Scent of Magic, his powerful perfume. With faerie dust as a secret ingredient. Ange didn’t know whether to laugh in his face or curse him for a liar. If he wanted to keep his secret ingredient to himself, fine. She hadn’t asked him to tell her what it was. If it was some rare plant found in the meadow why didn’t he just say so and be done with it? “That’s an interesting way to make perfume,” she managed to say. “You don’t know the half of it. I left Kyffin ten years ago with a handful of the dust hidden in a small

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packet in my right pocket. From that, I have built my fortune. It was a long struggle to make the money I needed to develop the perfume, but I never lost sight of my vision. Now Scent of Magic is in great demand, and the supply needs to be renewed.” Taking a deep breath, she blinked at Ryol. His thin face looked crafty and cold. She wet her lips. “Okay, I believe there is something on this world you want, something rare. I’m not buying this tall tale about faerie dust, but from your reaction it’s safe to say whatever it is, it’s found up there on that mountain, maybe in this meadow the two of you keep yapping about. Fine. Whatever it is, it must be a potent chemical to have that effect in perfume but there’s no reason to tell me all the details as long as it’s not illegal.” Humor gleamed in Ryol’s dark eyes. “As far as I know, faerie dust is legal on every world.” Ange had to give him credit, when he lied he did a thorough job of it. She decided to push him a bit. “How do you use the dust to make perfume?” “Ah!” His face lit up with pleasure. “All it takes is a single grain, added to the perfume at the right moment, and a rich and enchanting scent suffuses the whole batch. The effect is magical indeed. In ancient faerylore, it’s called the glamour.” “Glamour?” It was a word she disliked. One of the men who’d fallen under her spell had told her she’d bewitched him with her glamour. It was a curse. “It’s an ancient term for the effect of faerie magic on humans. It gives an irresistible quality—while it lasts. Anyone who wears my Scent of Magic becomes overwhelmingly attractive to the opposite sex.” Well, that explained Blane. Color rose in Ange’s cheeks as she thought of how she’d nearly laid back on that desk and spread her legs for him—and all because of a damned perfume. It was a good thing she’d suspected he was wearing the scent. “What if a man wears it?” she asked, wanting to know the full truth. A satisfied smirk stretched Ryol’s thin lips. “I discovered the secret of its effect when some dust drifted down over me. I returned to the village with a few grains of faerie dust in my hair and the women threw themselves at my feet.” Her fingers curled into fists. If he dared to show her the bottle again, she’d smash it. She could barely abide the sight of his self-indulgent leer. He glanced at her sideways, his dark eyes taking on a calculating look. “I don’t usually wear my perfume—I want to keep my identity secret and the scent would only attract attention to me. But I have worn it once or twice to see the mighty bow before me. Certain women—beautiful women—” Ange struggled to keep her disgust from showing. She’d heard the powerful were using the perfume to seduce those they wanted into their beds. At least Ryol’d kept his promise and stayed in his cabin during the voyage. He’d never responded to her scent as Blane had. Not that she’d ever worn Scent of Magic. She didn’t need perfume. If only the explanation of her lifelong curse was as simple as a dusting of faerie magic. She’d take a long bath and be free.

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She forced herself back to reality. “Can anyone resist your perfume?” His gaze darkened as he continued to stare at her. “No. Those who wear Scent of Magic can have the heart of whoever they chose—for as long as they wear the perfume.” A chill ran down Ange’s spine. What if Ryol tried his perfume on her? The thought of being kissed by those thin lips, or touched by those constantly twitching fingers repulsed her. And the thought that her attraction to Blane might be nothing more than a side effect of this potent dust was even worse. She shuddered as she suppressed the memory of the sweet sensation of his hand cupping her breast. “Must be a big market for that,” she said with a forced smile. The idea was revolting. Who would want a love that was based on some scent affecting the brain’s chemistry? She lifted her chin, determined to keep her distance from both brothers and get off Kyffin as fast as she could. “You can’t even imagine. I had no choice but to return here for more dust.” She leaned back in her chair and with a neutral expression. Best to hide how foul the whole idea smelled to her. If any of it were true, he was selling whatever he’d found in the meadow to buyers who used it to manipulate other people. “People must pay you a lot for it then.” He nodded. “They do, and many would do anything to learn the secret of its making. That’s why I hired you. This is a clandestine operation. No one must learn of my connection to Kyffin.” “No, I suppose not.” He seemed to sense her revulsion. His eyes narrowed. “You don’t approve of how I made my fortune.” “It looks like you took the money and ran, leaving a lot of people behind.” He eyed Ange. “The traders took me and Blane because we could earn our keep. They would have thrown anyone else off the ship. And even if I’d told the others about my discovery, they would have had no understanding of how to make a profit off of it. Now that my fortune is made, I’m prepared to be generous.” She remembered the crumbling concrete of the buildings, and Michel’s patched pants. “These people could use your generosity.” He sneered. “These people don’t care about the meadow. They don’t even know about it. They are too busy trying to scratch a bare living from this land, and they’ve lost hope for the future. That hope died before I left. The food and other supplies we’ve brought will ease their lives for quite a while. They will be grateful.” “I’ll have to take your word for it. Blane wouldn’t tell me a thing.” “He’s like them, suspicious of outsiders. He still thinks of himself as a colonist, I’m sure. I’ve told you more than I should have, because you can keep your mouth shut. I plan to expand my business, now that I know things are much as I left them. I want to come every year to accumulate a supply of dust. I need a ship to take me back and forth in secret. You could become wealthy too, if you cooperate with my plans.”

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Although the words were spoken without inflection, she saw the cold warning light deep in his eyes. She tapped a fingernail against her tube of beer. “I know how to keep quiet as long as I’m paid.” “See that you do.” Ignoring his half-finished beer, he pushed himself to his feet. “Both moons will rise tomorrow as soon as the sun sets. I’ll travel up the mountain to my meadow and wait for the faery dance. A fresh handful of dust is all I need to keep my customers satisfied for some time. Later, when I am ready to expand, I’ll gather more.” “Do you want me to come with you?” “No. I don’t expect any trouble from Blane.” “How can you be sure?” Ryol smirked. “He’s my brother, and we have an agreement of our own. I’ve only told you this much to assure your full cooperation. I’ll be back first thing in the morning with a fresh supply of dust.” She watched him with narrowed eyes. Faerie dust indeed! Scent of Magic…she’d like to have some of that perfume. She’d use it to drive this pompous ass mad. She shook her head in disbelief. Some powerful chemical was involved, that much was certain. Taking a sip of her beer, she considered her options. She’d do a little investigating of her own as soon as both moons rose.

Chapter Seven

“Aaachoo!” The force of her sneeze shook Ange’s whole body. She sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve. Dirt balls! The dust in Kyffin’s air made her nose tickle. Even a walk was a disgusting experience. She’d sneezed three times on her short journey from the ship to the warehouse at the north end of the first concrete building. “Gods bless!” “Pardon me?” Ange turned to see Blane standing in the warehouse entrance, his feet planted in his usual confident stance, his arms folded. She could have sworn he hadn’t been there a moment ago. His tall

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form and broad shoulders half filled the doorway. He’d spent the night off the ship, with the colonists, and she was surprised to see him alone. “Gods bless. It’s something we say when people sneeze. The blessing keeps you from blowing your soul right out of your body.” She sniffed at such primitive nonsense. The sparkle in his eyes suggested he was teasing her. Determined not to be sidetracked by his roguish charm, she marched past him without a glance and headed inside the warehouse. As her eyes adjusted to the dimmer light, she examined the rows of neatly stacked crates. Jake had done his usual efficient job offloading the cargo. She heard a sound and turned to find Blane behind her. Good. She had a question for him. “All the crates marked for Kyffin are off the ship. But there are at least ten crates still on board.” “That’s right.” Blane stared at her, his face expressionless. Ange sighed. More of their damned evasiveness. If they wanted to pay her to transport crates from Tau Delta to Kyffin and back, that was their business. Her responsibility was done. The crates for Kyffin were off the ship, and Ryol was busy with his own schemes, whatever they were. She could go back to her ship and wait until he was ready to leave. Pulling her computer pad out of her pocket, she held it out to Blane. “Here. Sign that the cargo was safely offloaded and I’m out of here.” He took the pad from her and scrawled his name across the surface. “Are you planning to watch the double moons rise together? It’s considered good luck.” “Another superstition. Kyffin seems to be full of them. Blessings, lucky moons and faeries!” Blane handed the pad back to her with a surprised look. His startling violet eyes scanned her face. “Ryol told you about the faeries?” “He told me some absurd story.” Blane chuckled. “You don’t believe him?’ “Are you going to tell me they’re real?” He shrugged with an amused smile. “Believe what you want.” Without another word, he circled around a pile of crates. Curious, she followed him, keeping a safe distance in case he was wearing the powerful Scent of Magic again. She found Ryol’s story difficult to swallow, but it did explain her reaction to Blane, and to the scent of the perfume. Blane leaned over to read the contents stamped on the outside of one crate and then straightened and regarded her with a serious expression. His earlier anger had vanished. She could see faint laugh lines wrinkling the tanned skin around his soul-stirring eyes. His firm mouth quirked upward in a smile. For the third time that day, her insides melted as a wave of heat surged through her body. Desire pooled in her center. Warmth tingled on the ends of her fingertips and her toes. Her body hummed with delight at his nearness. A pleasant arousal made her keenly aware of how long it had been since any man had touched her between her legs. Her skin shivered with longing for his caress. She’d forgotten how

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pleasant it was to feel aroused by a man. Without thinking, she took a step closer to him. Maybe avoidance wasn’t the answer after all. It was obvious from their previous encounters that Blane knew his way around a woman’s body. Maybe a dirtball fling was what she needed to get this insatiable lust out of her system. If the fires she kindled in him were anything like the passion blazing through her, they’d burn each other out. Give in to it, something deep inside whispered.Let the fires rage. Sensuality is a gift to enjoy. Curious, she allowed herself a small sniff of his sensual scent, hoping he wouldn’t notice. He smelled like a man who’d worked hard that day, but it was a clean, masculine scent. And why was she sniffing at him anyway? Ryol’s tale was nonsense…yet even as the thought passed through her mind, passion uncoiled in her center like a whiplash of fire. Without warning, her insides turned molten and sent darts of flame shooting down to the sensitive flesh between her legs. The pleasant ache escalated into a needy throb, and her nipples hardened under the concealment of her jacket. Blane scanned the datapad on the crate in front of him, oblivious to her reaction. “I can’t blame you for being a skeptic. But the faeries are real. I’ve seen them myself. On a night of the double moons, I watched the enchanted folk cavorting in the meadow.” He slid a measured look at Ange. “Ryol calls it a dance but it’s much more than that. You’ll never see another dance like it, ever.” His eyes gleamed and the hard planes of his face softened with yearning. “It’s a sacred ritual. Whatever their purpose in coming to Kyffin, it’s beyond our understanding. My brother interferes at his peril.” Ange coughed. Her head spun and it was hard to think through the lustful images crowding her mind. “Ryol says when they dance they leave behind a dust. He claims that dust is the secret ingredient in Scent of Magic. He says the glamour of the faerie magic is what makes those who wear the perfume irresistibly attractive to the opposite sex.” Blane’s mouth curled in disgust. “He’s made a fortune with that damnable perfume. One day his secret will be discovered by those who lust after power. When that happens, they will descend on this world like a plague seeking this rare aphrodisiac. The faerie dance will end and who knows what catastrophe will result from our meddling. It was never meant for our eyes, and the dust was never meant for us to use.” “Why do they leave it behind then?” She regretted the question as soon as she spoke it. Already these two mad brothers had her speaking about the faeries as if they really existed. “They don’t—at least not on purpose. They generate an enormous amount of energy as they move—in fact that seems to be why they come to our realm in the first place, to create elaborate energy patterns, spirals of magical light that sweep about the meadow. The energy interacts with this physical universe. I don’t know what their purpose is, but I’m inclined to think the dust is an accidental byproduct.” “You sound as if you’ve made a study of these faeries.” He leaned his head toward the desk in the far corner of the warehouse. “We can sit on the desk if you want to hear the story of our settlement.” She remembered all too well what had happened the last time she’d sat on that desk. Besides, her ship was waiting and she had a long checklist of things to do before they could take off again. Ryol had

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indicated he would be ready to leave as soon as he’d gathered a fresh supply of whatever it was he was really after, and that was fine with her. She’d be glad to head back to civilized space. She’d tell him to find another ship and she’d forget about Kyffin. Without warning, Blane stepped to her side and curled strong fingers around her forearm. The heat of his body penetrated through her jacket and tunic. His warm breath tickled her ear, sending tingles down to her toes. His powerful male scent encircled her again. “I know our story sounds incredible to you, but we’re telling you the truth. The faeries do exist. I’m cursed by them.” “Cursed?” She lifted one eyebrow in a question, her heart pounding, as he gripped her arm at the elbow and led her over to the desk. She pulled free and sat perched on the edge. Blane stood in front of her, his arms folded. The light pouring in through the window fell on his face, accenting its strong lines. He wore the look of a man who’d faced hard times and endured. “What do you mean, cursed?” she asked again. Sorrow had returned to his eyes. “I told you I went up to the meadow. When I returned I found I was suddenly irresistible to women.” She swallowed and looked away, feeling the hot blood mount in her cheeks. Did he know how much she lusted for him at this moment? Moisture pooled between her legs as she imagined the sensation of his hard length thrusting into her for the first time. The thought of waiting even a moment longer grew unbearable. She wanted to lean back on the desk and part her thighs in invitation like some wanton hussy. Her hand moved of its own volition to the top button of her jacket, toying with it. “They all wanted me.” He spoke quickly, his voice harsh. “I expected it would wear off in a few days. After all, Ryol experienced the same phenomena, but it went away as soon as he washed off the dust. I enjoyed bedding a couple of them, but I soon realized they didn’t want me. They just wanted to be close to me, to smell that incredible odor. Believe it or not, I couldn’t wait for life to return to normal. But it didn’t. It never has. Anytime I get close enough to a woman for her to smell my scent, she goes mad with desire.” No kidding! Ange clenched her hands over the edge of the desk and held on for dear life. Her thighs tensed as she willed her legs to stay closed. He held out his hands to her in desperate appeal. “Then you came. As soon as I got close to you, I smelled something. It was the smell of heaven and pure sex combined. I thought it was Scent of Magic, that Ryol had given you some.” He curled his hands into fists. “If you say that’s not so, I believe you, but I can still smell it. You’re like me and that’s not possible. Now I know how women feel when they get close to me.” Like an animal in heat. That’s how she felt. Ange gripped the edge until her fingers hurt. “I can’t explain my scent. I wouldn’t want a man if Scent of Magic was the only lure.” His puzzled frown grew deeper. “I know you’re not wearing Ryol’s perfume. But you smell as if you are. You smell of the Otherworld, of the land of the faeries.” “That—that’s impossible!” she sputtered. “I don’t even believe in your damned faeries.” “I know.” A lost, desperate look passed over his face. “I can’t explain it. I only know it’s true. You’ve traveled the stars, haven’t you?”

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Warily she nodded. “Did something inexplicable ever happen to you? That’s the only explanation I can think of—you’ve had contact with their realm somehow.” “Never.” She ran a nervous tongue over her lips. This world was getting more insane by the moment. Yet she knew Blane spoke the truth about the scent that clung to her, the scent that began the day she became a woman. Since that day, her life had been a nightmare whenever a man came near. She’d long since decided she was a freak—a mishap of nature. Now she wondered…was there a link of some kind? She pursed her lips in thought. Faeries! It wasn’t possible. Did Blane think she was an idiot to swallow such a mad tale? And even if it were true, she’d never had any contact with any alien race even remotely resembling faeries. She heaved a sigh. That was a mistake. She caught a fresh whiff of Blane’s scent. Her nipples hardened, the tender tips pressing against her bra. Rapid spurts of electric sensation darted straight down her nerve endings as the heat mounted in her already burning woman flesh. “We’re two of a kind.” He moved closer. His breathing deepened as he took in her scent. “You must have some link to the faerie realm.” “Not that I know of.” Her brain seemed to have stopped functioning. He was too close. His magical smell swamped her senses. She drowned in the depths of his eyes as he moved nearer. His hands touched the tops of her knees. His warm breath stirred the curls tumbling over her forehead. The suppressed desires of the past few years swept through her body in an urgent tidal wave that couldn’t be denied. With a small moan, she yanked off her jacket and threw it on the floor. His eyes widened as he saw the stun gun in its holster around her side. Not caring what he thought, she pulled it off and threw it on top of the jacket, then undid the fastenings of her blouse. “Ange! Is this what you want?” His voice shook with his own passion but his fierce question recalled her to some semblance of reality. “Yes.” As incredible as his story seemed, on some deep level she knew he told her the truth. They were two of a kind. Not that she cared at the moment. All she cared about was satisfying her craving for that incredible body of his. Without another word, she drapped her arms around his neck and drew him close. He bent over her. His lips brushed hers in a silken caress. She wrapped a hand around the back of his head, pulling him to her. Gods, she wanted to devour him. He kissed her open mouth with his demanding lips, probing her with his tongue. His hands pushed aside the blouse she’d unfastened. It slid off her shoulders and down her arms and she tossed it aside without a glance. His fingers already tugged at the seams of her bra, releasing it. It fell away from her breasts, leaving her nude from the waist up. A rosy sexual flush warmed her skin. Her nipples were taut, aching for his touch. “Please.” She made a strangled sound, deep in her throat. His mouth moved down her neck, leaving

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behind a trail of wet kisses, and plunged into the hollow between her breasts while her heart beat in a wild rhythm. He settled over one rigid nipple, tracing it with his tongue, teasing it, then taking it into his hot mouth and sucking with unbridled gusto. She hissed in pleasure and arched her back as waves of ecstasy rolled through her after each lavish sweep of his tongue. His fingers found the other nipple and squeezed as his lips moved over the first one, sending fissions of fire sweeping down her belly and into her loins. Moisture dampened her panties. Her underwear became soaked and she knew her inner flesh was hot and slick, ready to welcome him inside. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the waves of intense passion that washed over her with each tug of his fingers. Her hand reached out and searched for him. She found the firm curve of his hip and groped lower, her finger tracing the flat plane of his abdomen, until she found the hard length of flesh she’d been searching for. “Oh, gods!” His sharp gasp caused her to spasm with desire. She tightened her grip on him, massaging his rigid length as best she could through the rough cloth. He looked at her, his pupils enlarged to black holes of desire that seemed determined to drink her in. He gave her breasts a teasing squeeze and then stepped back, away from her hand. Moving quickly, he stripped off his tunic and pants. She wet her lips with pleasurable anticipation at the sight of his broad chest with its thick mat of dark hair, then gave her own gasp as his pants fell away and she saw his phallus spring free, erect and proud. “It looks like the faerie dust has more than one magical effect,” she said, unable to suppress a wide smile. She slid off the edge of the desk, kicked off her boots, and pulled down her own pants and panties. The moisture created by her overwhelming desire dampened her thighs as she undressed. Stepping free of the last of her clothes, she moved into his arms and pressed her naked body against his, marveling at the contrast between her pale spacer’s skin and the tanned darkness of his work-hardened body. The white globes of her breasts rubbed against the wiry hair that covered his chest and her stomach welcomed the pressure of his swollen length as they embraced and kissed, drinking deeply of each other. “Ahhh … ahhh!” Soft moans of pleasure escaped her throat as his kisses once more descended down the pillar of her neck. An exploring hand parted her legs and she bit her lip with pleasure as three fingers probed the depths of her moist interior. Throwing back her head, she groaned. Her body pulsed with the pleasure she’d denied for so long. She wanted him deep inside her. She shuddered with pure physical delight as he stroked her. She pressed close again, felt his stiff shaft poke the soft flesh of her stomach. That was what she wanted inside her. She twirled her fingers in his chest hair and backed away, pulling him after her. She had a moment to feel bereft as his fingers left her, and then she bumped into the desk with the backs of her thighs. She grabbed the edge with both hands and hopped up into a sitting position, spreading her legs wide.

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Chapter Eight

Blane inhaled deeply as a musky odor rose up from the exposed flesh of Ange’s private parts. His fingers trembled with anticipation as he stroked the creamy smooth skin of her inner thigh. She was hot velvet and he couldn’t wait to sink into her. Her power to enchant him only added excitement to the heady rush of emotion that pounded through his body. For so long he’d kept his feelings dead, knowing nothing could come of caring. But with this woman … with her it might be different. Their eyes locked and he thought he saw the same expectancy in her gaze. To find someone who shared his curse gave him hope for an end to the terrible loneliness. And even more wonderful, the hope was wrapped up in an incredible package. With her tough exterior, her urchin’s curls and her tender heart, Ange was a complex woman, and he liked complex. Complex and sexy. His eyes devoured the body spread out before him like a scrumptious feast. She was small and delicate, like fragile china, all white and pale pink, yet he knew her heart contained a fierce spirit and a passion that matched his own. She shuddered at his touch, whimpering with desire, and leaned back on the desk. Supporting herself on her elbows, she spread her legs wider yet, exposing her most intimate secrets to his greedy view. He drank her in with his eyes—her curves, her rosy skin, the golden gleam of the curls that framed her opening. Her labia gleamed with dew, the distended folds drawing his gaze deeper into the moist entrance that beckoned his aching phallus. Groaning, he leaned hard against the edge of the desk and thrust into her. Her velvety heat enfolded him as he plunged into her silken depths. He grabbed her hips and pulled her up against him, his buttocks moving in a fierce rhythm of desire as he stroked in and out of her. The smell of her warm juices mingled with the deeper smell of her body, driving him almost insane with desire. He had to possess her or die. Any thought of gentleness vanished, consumed by the flame of desire. He pounded into her like a madman. Her own frantic need matched his as she lifted her hips and arched her back to expose her breasts. “Please.” Her voice was a desperate whisper. She didn’t have to ask him twice. He grew even harder inside her at the sight of her ample bounty. He leaned over and nipped at one stiff nipple. Her whole body convulsed at his touch. Her legs shook and her hips buckled as her aroused flesh clenched around him like a warm, velvet glove, then released. “Oh, goddess!” she screamed and collapsed back on the desk, a red flush covering her breasts and inner thighs. He continued pumping into her and in response, her intimate muscles still clenched and unclenched around his shaft. The silken stimulation sent fire coursing through his engorged organ. With one final

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thrust, he came, spurting his seed into her depths. He leaned over the desk, supporting his weight on his hands, as the orgasm slammed through him. When the waves of rapture ceased, he withdrew, breathing hard. Wondering how his legs still managed to support him, he collapsed into a sitting position at her side. Slowly, his breathing returned to normal. She sat up beside him, her full breasts caught between her arms as she hugged herself. “That made up for two years of celibacy,” she said with a dazed smile. He looked down, saw his shaft thrusting upward between his legs in proud defiance of the exhaustion wracking the rest of his body. “Ready for round two?” he asked, only half teasing. He glanced over at her and saw that her nipples remained taut with desire. If she was willing, so was he, although it might kill him. He’d only begun to kiss those delectable nubs. Exploring the delights of her body might just be a lifelong project. Suddenly he shook his head. What was he thinking? It must be the effect of the faerie scent. He had a duty to the colonists on Kyffin and she was a starship captain. As soon as they returned to Tau Delta, she’d be gone, glad to leave the two of them behind her. It was enough to slake his aching loneliness between her legs while he could. He had to guard his heart from her enchantments, or he’d be hurt again. At his side, Ange smiled and stroked the warm, muscled flesh of his thigh. He liked her smile when she was relaxed. So shy and tender. She put on a tough exterior, but he wasn’t fooled. This was a woman who cared. The kind of woman he needed. He pushed the thought from his mind. As her palm slid down his thigh in a long caress, he spoke. “Do you realize you’re the first visitor to Kyffin in ten years?” She laughed. “Good thing they don’t depend on the tourist trade.” He turned to search her face. A stray golden curl dipped down to half cover one eye. She looked like a pixie. The thought struck fear into his heart. What if the faeries had purposefully drawn her to Kyffin? They were not human—they were powerful beings with their own purposes. Ryol was a fool to meddle in their affairs. He forced himself to voice his fear. “I’m beginning to believe the gods want you here for their own purposes. Maybe they used my brother to get you to Kyffin. If it weren’t for him and his damned perfume, you’d never have come near this place.” “That’s true.” She shrugged. “The abandoned worlds are dangerous, usually more trouble than they’re worth.” He traced the sweet curve of her jaw with a careful finger. Her skin warmed his fingertips. “I’m sorry I got you involved in this.” She looked at him with sudden pity. “You didn’t have a lot of choice, I suppose. I’m about the only captain foolish enough to fly into the Abandoned Zone.”

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He stroked her cheek. He couldn’t keep his hands off her. Would the effect of her scent ever wear off? Not that he wanted it to. “It’s incredibly brave of you.” She squirmed. “Or foolhardy. And it’s not like I have a crew to risk. There’s only Jake.” She smiled at the thought of the android. “I’d better not stay here much longer. Jake might miss me and come looking.” Blane laughed and leered at her breasts. His hands settled over her shoulders as he drew her up against his chest. “Well, we can’t have Jake finding his captain in a compromised position, can we?” He was so strong. Her intimate parts throbbed at the memory of the masterful way he’d gripped her butt and pulled her hard against him as he thrust into her. She ached from the pounding of his phallus in her depths, but it was a pleasant ache. This whole experience seemed like an erotic dream, but he, at least, was solid and real. Feeling an unexpected self-consciousness, she pulled away and folded her arms across her chest. She lifted her chin, wondering how she could get up and retrieve her clothes with a modicum of dignity. “I’ve noticed your people have done little since the original buildings went up,” she said to fill the sudden silence. His mouth quirked. “Little! It’s obvious you’ve never lived on a world. The people here have to work day and night to survive. There aren’t enough of them left to do the work that needs to be done to make the village thrive.” She bit her lip. “What about you? You’re not thinking of staying here, are you?” What the hell, it was none of her business but she had to know—before she got too involved in fantasies about the voyage back. Already she was having flashes, visions of him coming into her cabin at night, undressing her and enfolding her in his arms as they snuggled close on her narrow bed. He drummed his fingers on the desktop, his face thoughtful while he searched for words. “You might not understand, but I love Kyffin. It’s a harsh and unforgiving world, but it was my home. And nothing could ever equal the joy I’ve felt watching the faeries. Still, it’s their world, not ours. We don’t belong here. So the short answer is, yes, I will be going back. All of us should leave. This world belongs to the Fa’erie.” “The Fa’erie?” She frowned at the strange pronunciation. “That’s what the faeries were called in ancient times on Earth. It means the Green People. Because they were seen, if at all, in the forests and the meadows.” She looked at him in amazement. “You’re a fountain of arcane knowledge.” He spread his hands wide. “As you can imagine, there is not much in the way of amusement on Kyffin at night. I used to spend my evenings studying the old computer files brought by the original settlers so I could learn more about the universe. And since then, I’ve consulted sources on many worlds.” “What makes you think the colonists will want to leave?” “They’re tired of eking out a living. But more than that, they want a better life for their children, and they know there’s no future on Kyffin. Their numbers have fallen below sustainable levels.”

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“Isn’t Ryol afraid his secret will leak out if they all go back to Tau Delta?” Blane gave her a rueful grin. “That’s the strange thing. It seems the faeries only appear to certain people—to me, to be precise. The rest of the colonists don’t suspect the true secret of Kyffin. Sharlene’s kept her mouth shut all these years. As for Ryol, he cares only for what he gathers in the meadow. Whatever the faeries do, we should not interfere. Humanity should leave Kyffin, but instead, if Ryol has his way, others will eventually come here. He must be stopped before he goes too far.” She leaned forward, disturbed by the fervor in his voice. Her fingers touched his hand. “I am beginning to understand why you oppose him. But he’s my passenger and his safety is my concern. If you intend to do something to stop him, you’ll have to deal with me first.” “Not altogether a bad prospect.” Blane’s eyes sparkled with an amusement that seemed to contradict the seriousness of his words a few moments ago. Ange wondered if perhaps she’d overreacted. Ryol hadn’t seemed worried and they were brothers. Blane swept up her hand and kissed it. “I love dealing with you, my sweet Ange.” My sweet Ange. The words warmed her heart. Frowning, she reminded herself that whatever he was feeling it was because of her own unexplained scent, not because he’d freely chosen her. Gods only knew what they would feel for each other if the compelling scents they both emitted were to vanish. But at least he understood what it was like to live knowing those who claimed they loved you were not in their right mind. Not to mention the fact that he was handsome and sexy and had a sense of humor. Until she found a way she could override the scent, she could do a lot worse than hooking up with Blane Llewelyn. His fingers stroked her cheek, reassuring her. “No need to worry. I’m not a violent man. I’ll deal with my brother in my own way.” Ange shuddered at the look of determination on his face. “You almost convince me these faeries are real.” He tilted his head to one side. “You think we’re making this up?” “There’s one way to find out.” She glanced out the window at the mountain peaks visible above the treetops. To her surprise, his face darkened. His hand dropped away from her cheek. “Don’t even think of going to see the faeries. It’s far too dangerous.” “Oh, I don’t know.” She brushed back a curl that hung in front of her eyes with a flip of her hand. He was so damned serious whenever these alleged faeries came up. She decided to tease him. It had been a long time since she’d dared to flirt with a male for fear of the reaction she might provoke. His reaction she already knew. It showed in his still-erect penis and the possessive look on his face when she hinted she might go up to the meadow. Besides, there was a certain sense of freedom that came with knowing she’d never see this man again once she delivered him safely back to Tau Delta. In the meantime, he understood that the terrible attraction she emitted was not her but another force at work.

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She fixed him with a sultry look designed to heat his blood. “Maybe I’ll see these faeries for myself. I’m curious to find out what really goes on up in that meadow.” As she spoke she leaned forward, the tips of her breasts brushing against his arm. His gaze flamed with sudden desire. She laughed in delight. For once her strange ability to arouse men was a gift, not a curse. He leaned closer, his body heat enveloping her in an erotic cocoon. She smelled his rich, masculine scent and a sudden languor swept over her. Her eyelids fluttered and her mouth softened, inviting his kiss. “You don’t need whatever gifts the Fa’erie have given you, Ange Bennett. You’re a beautiful woman. So beautiful.” A dark cloud passed over her heart, turning her bones cold. She’d heard these words so many times before. She forced another laugh but the joy she’d felt moments ago vanished. She didn’t want him to be like all the other men, helpless in the grip of her—what had he called it earlier?—her glamour. What did she want then? Love. Her mouth twisted in a bitter line. Impossible. She had to get away from this man before they both got hurt. She made her voice harsh. “I’m probably the only woman available on this forsaken planet.” Blane sat up straight and crossed his arms across his chest. Her voice had turned cold, where a moment ago she’d been flushed, relaxed. He wondered what he’d said to bring about this change. Regardless, she needn’t think he was desperate for a woman. “There are several women on Kyffin who would welcome me in their beds.” He didn’t add that they were married to other men, or that he had decided years ago never to marry. Women didn’t like to hear that. And it was none of her business anyway. He believed it was wrong to bring a child who might inherit his curse into the world. Someday, gods willing, he’d find a woman who loved him for himself. Knowing Ange shared the same problemhad given him hope. But the icy stare she shot his way was enough to chill a man’s bones. What had happened to the woman who’d writhed under him in the throes of her orgasm only minutes ago? Sadness gripped his heart. Was their shared passion only an illusion brought on by the Fa’erie glamour? He wanted so desperately to feel something real. He’d hoped she’d understand, but he could feel her withdrawing back behind her protective walls. Maybe that was for the best. She would hate him once she learned the real reason he’d returned to Kyffin. She rose to her feet. A cold look had replaced the flirtatious laughter in her eyes. “I’m glad to hear your love life won’t suffer noticeably from my departure.” He stood up and looked down at the shining curls of her hair. The anger in her voice was unmistakable. Was she jealous? He could have sworn the warmth in her eyes was genuine and then, without warning, she’d stiffened and the temperature in the warehouse had dropped noticeably. Why had she backed off? Women were a mystery, and it didn’t help that his scent drove them beyond the bounds of sanity. Ange Bennett was attractive enough to have lovers on a dozen worlds. And with her powers of glamour, she probably did. He’d best forget her and concentrate on his plan to protect the Fa’erie from his brother’s greed.

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He lifted her chin with his hand and stared into her face. He was a head taller than her. “This was a mistake. We have less in common than I thought.” She jerked away from his touch. Ignoring him, she bent over and began pulling on her clothes. “I’ve enjoyed our dalliance,” he added awkwardly, “The women here on the colony grew accustomed to my scent finally, but I stay away from most women. It’s not fair to them.” She stiffened and paused with her pants half way up her thighs. He swallowed at the sight of her golden pubic hair. Her bare breasts jiggled as she started pulling up her pants again. “And it’s fair to me?” Ange turned her back and finished fastening her pants, then pulled on her bra and blouse. When she turned around again, gun holster in her hand, he stood unmoving, his magnificent body still nude. She looked upward to avoid the sight of the stiff flesh jutting outward from his body and found herself staring into his compelling gaze instead. His eyes shone down on her with conviction. “We both know what happened between us is chemical. Who else would ever understand that?” Hurt sliced through her like a hot blade. “What are you saying? That I’m better than nothing? Forget it.” His face darkened with disappointment. “You’re putting words in my mouth. You haven’t given me a whole lot of chances to get close to you, but what I’ve seen, I’ve really liked. You must sense that.” She shook her head. He was so close she could smell his masculine odor. She fastened her gun strap over her shoulder and pulled on her jacket, trying to ignore the empty feeling between her legs now that he was gone. The deep violet of his eyes filled her vision. After endless years of sleeping alone in a narrow bunk, she tasted hunger again. His body called to hers. She longed to feel his arms crushing her to him, longed to taste that generous mouth once more. From the slight flush high on his cheekbones, she imagined he suffered from the same longings. Scent of Magic, indeed. Glamour was nothing more than her body chemistry gone somehow awry, emitting hormones that triggered sexual desire in males. He apparently had the same problem only his scent affected women. It was a strange coincidence that they’d met, but no stranger than a belief in faeries. The power of one sex over the other was as old as time. Some genetic quirk had cursed them both with more than the usual dose. Avoiding his gaze, she finished dressing and strode toward the door of the warehouse. She wasn’t about to get involved with a dirt ball male—one who had more than enough problems of his own. “I have to get back to my ship,” she told him with a wave. He stood nude beside the desk not brothering to cover his lean male body. His eyes seemed to mock her. Did he think she was a coward for running away from their fierce attraction? He lifted his own hand in a salute. “See to your ship then. And if you want to be safe, stay on board when the moons rise together.”

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Chapter Nine

With her lander in stealth mode, Ange flew low to the ground in a wide arc that avoided the settlement. Once she was out of sight of anyone in the buildings, she turned the lander’s nose north toward the higher mountain slopes. Ryol had claimed the faeries appeared in a meadow up there. She skimmed the treetops, still uncertain about the wisdom of her course. Ryol had clearly not wanted her anywhere near the meadow and his business was his own. She had a feeling the former spacer turned merchant with the cold black eyes was more than able to take care of himself. Yet, if she stayed on the ship, she would remain in the dark about whatever had really brought Ryol back to this world. She didn’t want to risk that. Blane claimed the faeries were real, too. Unless this whole story was an elaborate ploy, what reason would he have to lie to her? Maybe the two brothers were really working together and laughing at her behind her back. That was okay, though. She was used to running her own show. She’d conduct her reconnaissance in secret and make a decision after she knew more. She didn’t worry about finding the meadow in the dark. That afternoon she’d sneaked into Ryol’s cabin and implanted a microtransmitter into the backpack that sat ready to go on his bed. The signal showed up loud and clear on her control screen. She sat back in her pilot’s chair and admired the view of the night sky from her lander. Kyffin was located closer to the heart of the galaxy than the Federation and the heavens blazed with stars. Far away on the distant horizon, a pale shimmer edged the tops of the mountain peaks. As Ange watched, the two moons rose together to the north. One half again as large as the other, they spilled a silvery river of light across the sharp peaks as they ascended into the sky. They would be visible until nearly dawn. The time for the faeries to appear was fast approaching. This was her chance to find out why Ryol had returned to this remote dirt ball. She scowled as she circled the lander up the mountainside, watching for any sign of a clearing in the thick forest below. Ryol must think she was an idiot. Of course, grounders believed spacers were a superstitious lot—maybe he actually thought she would buy into his story about faeries. No doubt Ryol had heard some of the wild, superstitious tales that spacers told while he’d been on the trader ship. That was probably why he thought she’d fall for such a preposterous story. But she wasn’t as ignorant as most of the men and women who sailed the great starships. Her mother had seen to it that she’d gotten an education that went beyond the skills required of a Class II engineer.

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The Fa’erie story was a scam, had to be. Maybe he told it to the people who bought Scent of Magic to give the perfume an exotic mystique. But she’d be willing to bet her profit for this trip that the truth was far more ordinary. Probably Ryol had discovered a plant that grew only in that meadow, and that was the source of Scent of Magic. If so, she would gather a specimen for herself and turn it in to the authorities as soon as they reached a civilized planet. She wasn’t going to risk her license, no matter how much money he offered her. The two moons sailed higher, sending a clear, cold light over the forested slopes. As Ange dropped closer to the ground to avoid being seen, she considered one other explanation of Ryol’s weird tale. It was a remote possibility, but one that lit a fire in her spacer blood. What if Ryol actually had seen the shining beings he’d described—beings who weren’t faeries at all. What if an alien race existed in a dimension parallel to this one and knew how to travel between them—a race that knew about humans but managed to keep hidden from humanity. On every world she’d visited there were legends of luminous beings that appeared and vanished—faeries on Earth, the Shaatral on Mersas, the D’viva on Luxen, and others from a hundred worlds she could name. When they were described, all were eerily similar in appearance: golden skin with a pale green tint to it, a radiant light surrounding them, the dark slanted eyes, the pointed ears and all of them, oddly, human-sized. What if they did appear on Kyffin once a planetary year when the two moons rose together in the sky for some reason known only to them? If she could capture one, she’d be famous. No more hauling cargo between backwater worlds. The holoflics would pay a fortune for her story. She would buy a first-class ship and go exploring as she’d always dreamed. She flew down into a valley, angling the ship to hug the landscape and keep hidden from sight, before heading up over a hill. Ahead, on the right, she saw a brief flicker of light. The control panel on her ship emitted a soft beep and the tracer signal from Ryol vanished off the screen. “Damn!” Ange pounded the panel with her fist and cursed. The control panel went crazy, lights flashing in rapid array. A warning chime sounded in the small cabin. “Damn, damn!” She swore again. Of all the times for the lander to malfunction. Yet the ship remained airborne, seemingly undisturbed by the warnings streaming across her screens. It had to be a computer problem. Muttering under her breath, she assumed manual control and throttled back her engines to a gentle hum that mingled with the sound of the wind in the trees. Reducing her altitude, she hovered lower until the bottom of her lander almost scraped the treetops. Yes—she hadn’t lost Ryol after all. She spotted his lander tucked away under a cluster of trees. And there was Ryol, walking up a steep rise. He carried a flashlight to light his way and the bright beam stood out against the dark hillside, making him easy to trace. Ignoring the urgent warning lights flashing on her panel, she dropped behind him and hovered at a distance. He made slow progress through the thick trees, giving her a chance to check her instruments. Despite the warnings, all the controls functioned as they should. As she puzzled over the anomaly, she saw Ryol reach the top of a hill. A wide meadow lay beyond the crest he was climbing. That had to be his destination. Swinging far around him and staying at treetop height so he wouldn’t see the lander, she flew ahead. As she drew nearer to the meadow, the power levels on her craft began to drop alarmingly. Maybe there was a reason Ryol had landed so far away and walked the remaining distance. Was it possible this area had some electromagnetic interference? Perhaps that was responsible for whatever Ryol sought here.

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She spotted a small clearing on the other side of the meadow. A grove of trees towered into the sky near an up thrusting of rock. The engines sputtered and coughed as she landed behind the rock. Cursing the maintenance crew, she shut the engines down. She climbed out of the ship and slipped into the woods. The trees masked her approach to the meadow. The moonlight vanished as she plunged into the thick forest. She stumbled over a tree root and caught herself by grabbing a branch. The rough bark scraped her hand and a bramble bush raked at the tough fabric of her flight suit. What did people see in life on a dirt ball anyway? The air smelled of dank soil and rotting vegetation. A nasty insect the size of her thumb bit her neck. Muttering a curse on Ryol and all his descendants, she crept forward to the edge of the meadow. Once she reached the gently rolling open space, she saw clusters of the same plant everywhere. It grew low to the ground on creeping vines that seemed to have spread over the entire meadow, and each vine was heavy with bright red fruit the size of her clenched hand. She sniffed with caution. The air now smelled sweet. The pleasant fragrance overrode the stink of the forest, but it didn’t seem powerful enough to be the secret ingredient in Scent of Magic. She remembered her whiff of that fabled perfume and how it had intoxicated her senses, drowning her in a river of desire, filling her with a sensual hunger that could only be satisfied by its wearer. This scent was tame in comparison. Still, the plants might be the source of the unknown ingredient Ryol added to his brew to produce an aroma with such mysterious power. Confident she would learn the truth, she found a clear spot under a tree and sat down to watch the meadow. Across the open space, she saw the flicker of a flashlight. Ryol had climbed over the crest and descended to the edge of the trees. His flashlight blinked out as she watched. Was he waiting for the faeries? According to Blane, the timing was crucial. Ryol had to wait until after the faeries completed their mysterious dance to harvest his dust. But he needed to collect the fine dust at once before it blew away. All she needed to do now was catch him in the act of collecting these plants. Once she was sure that was what he was after, she’d gather some for herself. She leaned back against a hard tree trunk and stretched out her legs. She could see the two moons above her through the leafy lattice, both of them dominating the northern patch of sky. According to what Ryol had said, it was time for the faeries to dance. A grin crossed her face. Faeries, indeed. Ryol had his nerve to feed her such a pack of lies. The leaves rustled above her and a cold wind brushed icy fingers over her neck. She wrapped her arms around her chest, wishing she’d brought a blanket. Above her, the stars glowed bright in a clear sky. She mapped them with the unconscious expertise of her years in space. Her mind wandered back to the various worlds she’d visited. Her thoughts drifted and she lost track of time—until the gentle chime of a bell recalled her to herself. She sat up, startled. The bark of the tree rubbed against her back through her jacket. In the meadow, a soft golden light shimmered in the air and cast a gentle glow over the plants. The lassitude of moments before dropped away. She gaped in disbelief as the golden glow intensified, spreading along the ground like a luminous fog, and then rising into the air in shimmering mists. Its shining rays drove back the darkness until the meadow looked as if it were bathed in the full light of a glorious sun. She leaned forward and searched the opposite side of the meadow, looking for Ryol. He was hiding, watching this strange phenomenon from some concealed vantage point, ready to pounce the moment the

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faeries left. Faeries! The brothers were getting to her with their wild story. A bell chimed a second time, the crystal-clear note ringing across the meadow. The sound hadn’t been part of her daydream after all. It was a summons. Then, in the center of the field, a sudden radiant ball of golden light appeared. The flash blinded Ange. She threw up her hands and when she lowered them again, blinking, she saw a figure walk out of the iridescent mist. A Fa’erie woman glided into the meadow, moving with the regal grace of a queen as she emerged from her hidden realm. Clothed in gleaming garments that flashed with all the colors of the rainbow, she floated above the ground, her shining slippers dancing on the air a handbreadth above the plants. She held her head high, her tall, slender form floating out to the center of the open space. Long, silver-white hair fell down her back in loose waves. She wore a crown of purple flowers in her hair and a crystal necklace around her slim neck. Her slanted eyes were pools of dark velvet, and her ears curved upward into slender points. More amazing still was the light that pulsed around her, swirling and curving like radiant wings. Ange’s breath caught in her throat. Ryol’s outrageous tale was true! The legends of ancient Earth…the folktales of a hundred planets…they were all true…the invisible people did exist. She was looking at one of them. Fa’erie…alien…the woman was like no creature Ange had ever seen before. Even as Ange fought to catch her breath, the clear chime rang across the meadow for the third time. The golden light in the center flashed again and four Fa’erie women emerged from the blinding rays to dance across the wide meadow to the side of their queen. Ange guessed they were attendants, for they all wore identical luminous rose-red gowns, belted with gold. Their long hair was silver-white, too and they had the same dark, mysterious eyes. Ange bit her tongue to keep from crying out. She fought the overwhelming urge to jump to her feet and run into the meadow. The wonder of a small child filled her soul. Who would have ever thought she’d discover a magical world hiding on this dusty planet? Emotions from a long-forgotten childhood welled up inside of her—the joy of a universe that still held infinite possibilities. The drab, gray sameness of her days fell away as she sensed the call of the mysteries hidden within those enchanting veils of light. The Otherworld existed and promised peace and order and the magic of a special place where she belonged. The women expanded their wings of light and began to drift out into the meadow, gliding above the plants, their silver slippers not touching the dirt of a material world. Watching them glide Ange was reminded of a ballet choreographed by some god—each of the beings moved with supernatural grace and precision, and she knew each movement held great meaning. Her soul yearned to join them in whatever they were about to create. Fa’erie. The Green People. Blane’s archaic word seemed right for these wondrous beings. The Fa’erie queen flew higher into the sky, her radiant wings wrapping her in a luminous shell. Her attendants gathered around her in a great circle, as the bell chimed yet again. Ange rose to her knees, her eyes wide, as another shining figure strode out of the dazzling light. This Fa’erie was nude and clearly male. Ange sucked in a shaky breath at the sight of his masculine beauty. Although not human, he radiated a wild and uninhibited sexuality that lit up the night with yearning desire.

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Trembling, she recognized the power of Ryol’s perfume, the erotic passion that dominated the mind and turned the body into a lustful servant of its desires. This creature possessed that same energy—he radiated a sexual magnetism that drew her to him. Ange wrapped one arm around the tree truck, anchoring herself to her hiding place as she examined the newcomer with hungry eyes. He was tall and strongly built with a deep green skin that shone like polished jade. His dark eyes glowed with an inner radiance, like stars. A circlet of gold held his long, ebony hair off his striking face. He moved to stand in the center of the meadow, the muscles rippling across his broad chest. Bracing his long, straight legs and planting his hands on his hips, he stared at the Fa’erie queen as if daring her to approach. The hair at the juncture of his legs was ebony, too, and his massive phallus a lighter green, like jade overlaid with moonlight. Licking her lips, Ange realized he didn’t have an erection—but if this was his placid state, she pitied the female who would have to mount him when he was fully aroused. His organ was huge. The thing would rip her in two, yet the powerful sexuality he emitted beckoned her, daring her to experience the joy of an intense union. Her woman flesh started to burn despite the moisture that dampened her panties. She wiggled, her body catching fire like dry kindling. The night was suddenly hot and warm, and she struggled to keep from running toward him. As the Fa’erie king stared upward, the queen slowly descended to the earth, her diaphanous garment of light billowing around her. For a long moment they faced each other in silence. Music began to play from out of nowhere, filling the night. Ange bit her lip to hold back a rapturous cry as the sweet notes pierced her soul. Never had she heard music so beautiful, so pure. The queen and her attendants began an intricate dance around the king, their slippers moving to the soulful music, their auras spreading out above them like great wings. The soft light of the two moons cascaded down over the dancing faeries and mingled with their own magical glow. As they danced their intricate steps among the vines, their feet floated above them, causing no harm, although they appeared to have all the height and weight of a full grown human. Her eyes wide, Ange leaned forward and tried to unravel the complex patterns of light woven by their movements. The queen and her women flowed with graceful purpose around the king, now together, now apart. A visible light emanated from their feet and formed great shining loops and circles across the field as they moved. All while the music filled the night with unbearable sweetness and savage lust as the twin moons watched from the starry sky. Then the music took on a deeper, more erotic note. The queen danced closer to the king, her silver white head held high, her dark eyes proud. Her wings of light unfolded around her, reaching upward as if trying to touch the two moons. The music came to a heartrending crescendo and her filmy garment fell to the ground at her feet. She stood nude before the king and his massive phallus swelled as he drank in her beauty. With an imperial gesture that carried all the power of his engorged manhood, he summoned the Fa’erie woman to his side.

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Chapter Ten

The king’s gesture tore through Ange’s heart. Erotic visions clouded her mind at the sight of these two glorious beings facing each other in their nakedness. She staggered to her feet on shaky legs as lust sang along her nerve endings. Without thinking, she lurched forward, wanting only to join the queen at the side of this compelling male. “No!” Strong arms surrounded her and stopped her movement. A warm hand clamped over her mouth, stifling her cry. Ange kicked viciously at the legs of the man behind her and struggled with all her might. “Hold still, you fool!” Blane’s voice pierced the lust that dominated her mind. Ange stilled, trembling, her eyes blinking as she tried to regain control of her body. Ahead, she could see the meadow bathed in the radiant light of the faeries as the queen knelt at the feet of the magnificent king and took his rigid length between her scarlet lips. “Are you all right?” Blane whispered urgently in her ear. “Will you keep your mouth shut if I take my hand away?” She nodded and gasped in air again as he withdrew his hand. His arms released her and she whirled around to face him. “What are you doing here?” she demanded with fierce anger, fighting to keep her voice low. He looked grim, his mouth set in a stern line and sweat on his brow, although a cool breeze stirred the leaves above their heads. As the shock of his appearance died away, lust once more rose up within her. The allure of the creatures in the meadow washed over her again like a wave that threatened to sweep her out into the open. The strain on Blane’s face showed he was fighting the same overwhelming emotions. Whatever energy the Fa’erie king emitted, they were both drowning in it. “I had to come. Ryol brought me along for a reason. The Fa’erie won’t appear unless I’m here.” “But the double moons!” she pointed at the sky. Blane’s head bent. He stared at the ground. “They will come at the double moon rise, but only if there is a human here who can draw them. I can and Ryol can’t.” He lifted his face, his eyes haunted. “They want me, Ange. That’s why Ryol had to bring me back to Kyffin.” She was dumbfounded. “But why would you agree to come?”

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“Because he’s offered me something in return. A bargain with the devil. But forget that for now. You have to get out of here. Their erotic power is more than a human can endure.” The desire surging through her confirmed his warning. She ran her tongue over her lips. “You never told me they have an orgy when they appear.” “It’s no orgy. It’s a summons to a mating.” A muscle twitched in Blane’s jaw as he struggled to control himself. Ange shivered as waves of hot passion rose up out of her belly and fed the furious flame that had roared to life between her legs. Grabbing her elbow, he pulled her back into the darkness beneath the trees and turned her to face him. “You must not watch. If you watch, you’ll be drawn irresistibly into the meadow.” “No.” She struggled against his grip. Dancing rainbows filled the open space, a living light that shimmered with sensual power. She could not ignore it any more than she could ignore the untamed beating of her heart, or the delicious yearning spreading through her feminine center. “I have to watch,” she gasped, not understanding herself why she insisted. “Let me hold on to you, then.” Blane’s grip tightened to emphasize his words. “The urge to run out and join them will become overpowering.” A part of her sensed he spoke from experience. She wanted to question him but her desire to see the king overrode every other impulse. Blane released her elbow and she spun around to stare at the meadow again. His hands settled around her waist, holding her in place, as she focused on the golden glory that lit the night. Wide-eyed, Ange stared at the fully erect phallus of the Fa’erie king as the queen knelt on the ground before him. The queen’s luscious mouth stretched open as she licked and sucked the head with her ruby-red lips. The thing was enormous. Ange could only watch in amazement as it grew even larger under the queen’s touch. Blane had called this a summons to mating…what did he mean? Suddenly, the king spoke a single word in some language Ange had never heard. At the command, the queen leapt to her feet and took his hand. His head held high, he began to move in a complex pattern, his face concentrated and intense. Although Ange could not imagine the purpose behind this dance, she knew in her bones that he and his queen wove this pattern for some reason. Deep inside, she sensed the currents of time and space shifting on Kyffin as the royal couple glided together through their intricate design. Ryol had said they appeared here for this complex cotillion whenever the moons rose together. Blane said they came to dance to draw him in to the meadow. All she knew was that enchantment pulsed through the night. She leaned forward toward the light as the dance brought the naked king closer. Her body burned with longing for the fulfillment that his dark eyes promised, a fulfillment that had always seemed forever just beyond her reach. In his eyes she saw the ultimate orgasm, one that would explode through her whole body, ending her cursed loneliness and dissolving her into blissful energy, one with the universe forever. Blane’s fingers dug into her hips as he held her in place. “Please!” A desperate whimper escaped her lips as she fought to break free.

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With a low oath, Blane dropped to the ground, pulling her after him. The scent of dirt and grass filled her nostrils and the wild longing that burned deep within her eased for a moment. She rolled on her back and looked up at the star-strewn sky framed by the leaves of the trees all around them. Blane leaned over her, his hands on either side of her body, blocking her view. “You must not look at the meadow,” he growled low for her ear only. “You watched! Ryol watched!” She knew it was the truth as she spoke it; knew he had watched more than once, that he had gone into the meadow to join the dance. “I did and repented of it long and hard afterward. As for Ryol, he’s a cold one. The first time he saw the dance, he suspected its compelling power and looked away at once. He doesn’t feel the same passions most of us do. I’ll wager he’s one of the few not affected by his damnable perfume. Maybe that’s why he was able to concoct it without going mad with lust in the process.” “I want—to go!” she bucked her body upward, trying to push him out of the way. Instead, he lay over her, pinning her to the ground with his weight. “The desire you feel is theirs, not ours,” he said, fixing her with a desperate stare. “We both have to fight it or we’ll be lost. Physical expression of the emotions flooding us will help us resist it.” Guessing his intention, she brought her hands up to his chest and pushed with all her might, but he was far stronger. He caught her hands in an iron grip and bent lower, his mouth claiming hers. She twisted, trying to escape the kiss, as his lips devoured hers, feeding the fire that already burned through her body. As if from an infinite distance, she felt his mouth, warm and human, pressed against her own. The turmoil she’d felt ever since she’d seen the Fa’erie king appear in the meadow receded. Calm returned to her mind. Her body relaxed under his. “That’s better.” He released her hands and stroked her hair, entwining his fingers in the lush curls. “Don’t look. Stay focused on me.” “What are they doing?” “It’s an ancient ceremony, one that brings energy from their world into this world, the energy of creation itself. The Fa’erie king is one of the old gods. He holds the power of creation within. His mate, the queen, arouses that power from its slumber with her beauty and releases it through their shared passion.” A rock dug into Ange’s back. She wiggled away and arched upward, seeking a better position. Her leg brushed against Blane’s abdomen as she moved and she became aware that the Fa’erie king wasn’t the only male aroused from his slumber. As she eased back down to the ground, her thigh stayed pressed against his erection. She heard his sharp intake of breath at her accidental touch. A shudder ran through his body. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him down to kiss her again. This time she opened her mouth and welcomed his tongue inside while her own tongue penetrated between his lips in a delightful exploration. Her tongue stroked his, savoring his taste. Above her the stars spun. Blane groaned and pulled open her jacket and blouse, then pushed up her bra. The cold night wind blew over her exposed skin, raising little chill bumps and hardening her nipples

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into stiff peaks. “Gods, woman, you’re beautiful.” This time she welcomed his praise. His eyes told her that he meant it, that it was more than their scents speaking. Tonight she felt compelled to go to the Fa’erie king in the meadow. What she was feeling here with Blane was real. And she wanted him, wanted him body and soul. The heat of his mouth replaced the cold wind. His hot breath warmed her nipples as his tongue flicked over them, stimulating the sensitive tips. She pulled his tunic free of his pants and ran her hands up his chest, enjoying the hard curve of his muscles, the rough scratching of his chest hair against her palms. A soft music whispered through the night above the sound of the wind in the trees, the music of the faeries. What was going on in the meadow? Was the king fully aroused at last? Was he taking his queen? Unable to resist the temptation, she turned her head. Through the windblown grass, she could see the meadow and its shining light. The king stood in the middle. Seen from her position, he seemed to rise like a tower from the earth, his legs braced. The queen was impaled on his phallus, her legs wrapped around his body as he supported her with his strong arms. Waves of iridescent light beat around them as their wings rose and fell. The king lifted his mate and brought her down again. Her wings stretched wide and beat the air in her ecstasy and her head fell back as she shouted at the sky. Her cry was a hymn of desire that echoed off the mountainside and swept over them all. Her silver hair lashed the ground as her body shook with orgasm. “Ange.” Blane’s voice, hoarse with desire, called her back from the edge of an overwhelming arousal. “Stay focused on me.” She turned her face to look into his and gripped the top of his tunic with both hands. “I need you—I need you now!” His violet eyes glittered in the starlight, full of an old sorrow. “You need to slake the lust you feel. You don’t need me. We’re both awash in what they’re feeling out there.” “Not true.” She strained upward and planted a wet kiss on his lips. “If it were only lust, I’d be running out into the middle of that meadow in a heartbeat.” He chuckled with male confidence. “Not the way I’ve got you pinned.” Her lips twitched. “Think you can hold down a spacer, dirt ball man?” Even as she spoke, she burst into motion. Her hands moved to his shoulders and pushed as she jerked up her knee, shoving his body off hers and rolling to her side and up to her feet in one quick motion. Then she was down on the ground again, on top of him, holding him pinned to the dirt on his back. “How do you like it, big boy?” she breathed in his ear. Her hands released his shoulders as she straddled him and groped for the top of his pants. Ripping open the seal, she pulled down his underwear and then wrapped her fingers around his erection as it sprang free. His skin was hot under her hand and silky smooth. Crouching low, she bent over the head of his shaft and took it in her mouth, savoring the salt-and-sweet taste of the drop of semen that clung to the tip. Grabbing the base of his organ in both hands, she began to massage the hard flesh. He was iron sheathed

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in velvet, and she felt him swell as her mouth stretched over the top, sucking and licking. “Ah!” His clenched fists beat against the earth and his hips arched upward as he pressed more of him into her mouth. Relaxing her throat, she took him in, her lips and hands busy. His hot flesh filled her mouth. She paused in her sucking to explore the warm vein that throbbed to his heartbeat. Her inquisitive tongue found the ridge that encircled the head and licked around it while her own tender flesh pulsed with mounting desire. His erection was rock hard beneath her hands. She released the shaft and concentrated on sucking on the head while she undid the seal that held her pants together. Blane saw what she was doing and sat up. “Let me help.” His hands encircled her hips, tugging down her pants. Her clothing fell away, exposing the white columns of her thighs. Even hidden in the shadows, her skin gleamed as if it possessed its own light. He stroked the seductive curve of her hip, enjoying the satiny warmth of her flesh. The night air chilled him after the intimate heat of her mouth. Above him, Ange laughed and leapt to her feet to kick off her confining garments. For a second, he froze in fear, afraid she was going to turn and run into the meadow. But her gaze stayed fastened on his erect phallus. Her eyes were wide and full of moonlight and desire. He could feel the emotions of the faeries mating in the meadow. Their lust was like a tidal wave, sweeping everything before it. He had to keep her from going into the meadow—had to. He should have known someone as strong-willed and stubborn as this woman would come to investigate Ryol’s claims for herself. Now she was caught in the storm of erotic desire and he had no choice but to ride the wave with her to the end. His body throbbed with a matching need that only she could satisfy. He wanted her, wanted her sweet little body and her sassy smile and even her stubbornness. Most of all, he wanted to hold her close, warm and human, and drive away the memory of the times he’d gone into the meadow, into the passionate night. He groaned with relief as she straddled his hips and settled her hot, moist opening over his erection. His phallus stirred like a snake seeking the blazing furnace inside her body. Above him, Ange smiled, her eyes glittering with desire as she gripped his shaft and guided it into her. With one swift movement, she impaled herself and began rocking up and down, moaning softly as he filled her. Blane collapsed back on the ground and admired the sexy view she offered as she bent over him. Ange Bennett was one hot handful, and he was beginning to think she was worth holding onto. Her full, round breasts swung above his face, two luscious globes perfectly designed for a man to hold in his hands. The white flesh shimmered in the moonlight that fell through the trees. Her nipples jutted down toward his mouth as if begging to be sucked. Her golden curls tumbled over her shoulders and brushed against his shoulders in a silken swirl as she moved up and down on him. Her face took on a dazed look as she fell into a sensual rhythm, her breasts bouncing with each motion. He reached up and cupped the twin globes, squeezing the soft flesh, delighted by her lustful response as he flicked her nipples with his thumbs. He wanted to see her jerk in the throes of orgasm until she collapsed. Maybe then their riotous libidos could simmer down enough to let them flee this dangerous place. Her inner muscles tightened around him, released, tightened again. He felt sheathed in hot velvet. His hands moved over her body, learning every lovely line. He imagined returning to his studio on Tau Delta and creating her out of stone, smoothing the rough marble into these flawless curves. She was a dream in silver and gold light, and he had to save her from the faeries. He grunted and gripped the round firmness of her butt cheeks, forcing her down on him, grinding deeper

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into her. She was close, had to be, but he was, too. He fought to keep his mind clear of the overriding lust that rode the night winds, to keep focused on his purpose of getting her out of here. If she ever went into that meadow…no, he bit down on his lip, driving the memories back to the dark place deep in his mind where he kept them hidden. There was so much he had forgotten until this night when the double moons called him back to the meadow again. Curse Ryol and his Scent of Magic! The two of them were here because of his brother. He’d handle Ryol as soon as he got Ange away from danger. A sheen of sweat broke out on her skin as she moved above him. Her eyes were half-closed, her thigh muscles tensing as she rocked on his hard length. Blane’s stifled moans rose up into the night air as she increased her frantic pace. He steadied her body with both hands and shoved hard so that he plunged high up into her, as she writhed in rapture. Her juices flowed down his shaft, soaking both of them. With a stifled cry, she exploded into an orgasm. Her head went back as she convulsed around him, her muscles tightening and releasing in an unending spasm that drove him over the edge. He jerked upward and bit his lip to keep from crying out as he shot his sperm deep into her body. She collapsed over him, breathing hard, her arms wrapped around his neck, her hot cheek pressed to his. Their two bodies relaxed from the throes of passion and seemed to melt into each other. As her breathing stilled, Ange began to hear the music again, a mounting symphony of passion that flowed like a terrible tide out of the meadow. She squeezed her muscles around Blane’s length. He was still embedded in her. She shivered as waves of exquisite pleasure pulsed through her womb. She heard Blane’s breathing deepen as the aftereffects of their violent sex took him down into the depths of exhaustion. Smiling, she turned her head and looked at the meadow. The king and queen were dancing again, their nude bodies wrapped in the living light of their wings. An inner voice warned Ange not to watch the dance, but she could not look away. The complex patterns, the spinning lights, wove their own compelling enchantment. Against her will, she rose to her feet, her face flushed, her heart swelling with the need to join in the magical movement. “Ange! What the—” Blane snapped out of the half-doze he’d fallen into and struggled up into a sitting position as Ange kicked away her pants, which had pooled around her feet. Her face flushed with desire, she took a step forward toward the moonlight. In the meadow the Fa’erie king turned in her direction as the patterns of the dance brought him toward the corner where she stood. His proud face was set in determined lines as if the pattern he wove with his feet would seal the fate of worlds. Radiant lines of energy now hung in the air above the ground, weavings of power, a tapestry with a hidden meaning that called to Ange. Striding to the very edge of the meadow on bare feet, she watched his approach. Behind her, she heard Blane stagger to his feet. “No!” he shouted. At the sound of his shout, the king’s head came up. His dark eyes blazed with an inner radiance as he searched the forest. There was no time to consider. In another moment, Blane would grab her and pull her back into the shadows. She would leave Kyffin and never again see the Fa’erie dance. But would she ever forget? Or would she spend the rest of her life wondering what would have happened if she’d walked out into that

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meadow and joined them in their magical rite? The king took a step in her direction as if he sensed where she stood. He released the hand of his queen and stretched out his fingers in a beckoning gesture. A wild, forlorn note in the music called to her. His eyes narrowed as he searched the shadows. In another second he would see her. She had to decide. A footstep crashed through the brush behind her. Blane! It was now or never. She stepped into the light, feeling the whisper of air at her back as she moved out of reach just as Blane grabbed for her. The king reached out both hands for her, drawing her against her will. The Fa’erie light shone full on her naked body as she stepped closer, and the king’s eyes widened. Halfling child, come home. His thoughts sang in her mind. His strong essence brushed against her spirit. Her fears fell away as visions of the Otherworld raced through her mind. The beings who stood before her were immortal, known to humankind from eons past. The male who called her was the great king, Oberon, the ruler of the Otherworld. My lord.She dropped into a curtsey no one had ever taught her how to make. Instinct possessed her, overriding everything else. “Damn you!” A voice shouted at her across a wide gulf, a voice from a now distant world but one she recognized somehow. “Turn around! Turn around this instant and walk back to me. It’s your only chance.” Halfling child, come closer. The king moved toward her, his body floating above the ground, his wings of light folding and unfolding in graceful waves. His queen came at his side, her beautiful face peaceful and full of love. For a moment the memory of human love plucked at Ange’s heart. She half turned toward the darkness at the edge of the meadow, but the blazing radiance was everywhere, pulsing with demand. Endless light surrounded her, and all the darkness seemed to vanish. “Ange!” Agony sounded in the cry. The king’s great dark eyes narrowed and a shadow passed over his shining face. He half turned his head toward the sound that seemed to Ange to come from a great distance. When he looked at her again, he smiled and the light of that smile drove all thought of the human man from her mind. Without a word, Oberon came to her side, his hand still outstretched. Beyond thought now, lost in the dance and the intoxicating music, she laid her hand in his and walked with him into the light.

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Chapter Eleven

Trumpets sounded a high note of victory. Light was everywhere, pure light so bright it filled her mind, hurt her eyes. She shut them and stumbled forward, blinded and stunned into silence in the midst of the shining radiance. Diaphanous wings brushed over her naked flesh. Feather light, they caressed her shoulders, her breasts. Her body trembled, bathed in liquid fire. She could barely stand as the gossamer touch slipped between her legs. Voices sang around her, high and bright, a melodious tongue that flowed over her shivering flesh. The strong hand that held hers moved to grip her arm and turn her. She squeezed her eyes tighter as the light mounted to incandescent brightness, piercing even her closed eyelids. The light became a burning heat on her flesh, scalding her with unbearable desire. She quivered with need as the hand slid up her arm, exploring her. A cocoon of power enfolded her, the presence of the Fa’erie king. Light pulsed over her skin in living, radiant waves. Someone’s hot breath burned against her throat where her pulse raced. A questing finger touched the very tip of her nipple, causing her to flinch and cry out with desire. “Shahaba tremeysen!” A male voice sounded like thunder in her ears. Startled, she opened her eyes and saw the light that enveloped her had started to swirl. A rainbow of colors melted into a whirlpool in front of her, a whirlpool that became a gateway to another world…far away on the other side she saw golden light, a green sward, towering mountains, and a city of shining crystal. “Damn you, Ryol! Out of there!” “Blane! You idiot!” Voices cursed somewhere in the far distance. A flurry of human sound. With a loud whoosh, the gateway vanished. A sudden musical babble rose around her as the Fa’erie women cried out in surprise and alarm. Ange looked toward the darkness at the edge of the meadow under the tall trees and saw Blane fighting with Ryol. The brothers faced each other, chests heaving, eyes blazing, fists flying. “Blane!” Shouting his name, Ange started toward him. No, halfling child. The Fa’erie king grabbed her arm. She half turned, twisting to break free, and found herself staring into eyes as black as the eternal midnight that reigned between the stars. Two moons of light glowed in those compelling depths, drawing her downward. With a gasp, she fell into the night…

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***

A raindrop splattered dead center on Ange’s forehead, waking her. A shiver racked her whole body and she sat up, suddenly aware that she was naked. Wild fear coursed through her as she stared all around. She was on the edge of the clearing, under the tree where she had first taken shelter the night before. Her clothes lay under her—it looked as if they’d provided rough bedding while she slept. Gray clouds filled the sky and raindrops made wet, popping sounds as they hit the tree’s leaves on their way down. Another drop struck the top of her head. She rubbed her temples, trying to think, although her brain pounded and every thought came slow and rusty. She remembered coming to the meadow, remembered Blane and their passionate lovemaking…the Fa’erie dance…the Fa’erie dance and Oberon leading her into the light! Ange jumped to her feet and stared around as if expecting the great king to reappear before her. But the clearing was deserted. She wrapped her arms around her breasts and shivered in the chill morning wind as more raindrops splashed on her bare skin. The rain pattered through the leaves above her but the ground where she stood was still dry. Something else had happened. What? She frowned at the leaden skies as a memory of Blane and Ryol fighting returned with the dimness of a dream. The two brothers, duking it out on the far side of the meadow. Why? Blane must have rushed over there to start the fight the moment she’d broken free and headed for the meadow. To distract the king? But it hadn’t worked. She remembered eyes as dark as space, eyes filled with moonlight. The king had…what? Her memory stopped there as if she’d struck a wall. Hurrying, she pulled on her clothes. Once encased in their warmth again, she walked out into the silent meadow where a soft autumn rain was falling. Vines were scattered everywhere, ripped from the earth. She stared around in amazement at the wanton destruction. Had Blane wreaked this havoc in his anger? Or Ryol? Or had the Fa’erie king exploded in rage at the violation of his dance? Chill fingers of fear gripped her heart as she realized how close she’d come to walking into the Otherworld. She knew beyond a doubt that if that rainbow of light had had time to open fully, she would have gone into the portal hand-in-hand with Oberon. She dragged a hand through her curls and looked around in wonder. Would she have ever escaped from that otherworldly dimension? Instead, Blane had shouted. The gate had closed and she…she’d done what? A cold knife blade of fear sliced through her as she struggle to remember for the second time. She summoned up the last image in her mind, that of the Fa’erie king’s midnight black eyes with their shining centers. Had he hypnotized her? Had he taken her to the Otherworld after all? She had no memory at all, but it seemed likely he’d taken her somewhere, or else Blane would have been with her when she woke. Unless he’d abandoned her to her fate, angered when she’d run from him into the meadow…

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Her head ached as she tried to form a theory. She’d run out into the meadow, there’d been a fight, maybe she vanished into the light, maybe Blane had waited, maybe not. But at some point someone had brought her body back to the tree and laid her there on her pile of clothes. The whole magical night was now a blur. She only knew one thing for certain—she needed to get back to Hawk’s Flight and find out what the situation was between the brothers. She rubbed her throbbing temples. What if she’d lain under the tree the whole night, sleeping? What if the magical dance had been a dream? No, the satisfied glow between her legs told her that someone had enjoyed her body the night before. A blush stained her cheeks as that memory, at least, returned vivid and clear. She saw herself bouncing up and down on Blane’s hardened flesh, impaling herself again and again. The sex was real. The Fa’erie must be real, too. The king had stared into her eyes and done something to her. Why did she have no memory beyond his black gaze? Feeling dizzy, she leaned against the tree trunk, grateful for its dense strength. She moved her hands over its rough bark and savored its solid reality. But the next moment she started back, staring at her fingers. Was she seeing things or did her hands have a faint green-gold glow in the soft gray light under the tree? She moved deeper into the shadows of the forest and held up her fingers against the dark green of a canopy of leaves. A hazy nimbus shimmered around each one. Frightened by the changes in her body, she crammed her hands in her pockets and stumbled through the underbrush toward the outcropping of rock that hid her lander. It was waiting where she’d left it. She climbed aboard, reassured by the familiar technology. The only glowing lights she wanted to see were those on a control panel. Punching in the codes, she lifted off, glad to leave the strange mountain meadow behind her. Let Ryol gather the dust he needed for his perfume, and she would leave this world and forget any of this ever happened. The sight of Hawk’s Flight sitting on the landing pad next to the colony buildings reassured her. She needed to get back to the normal, predictable world of her ship. She maneuvered the lander into the open cargo bay and settled it down on the deck. Throwing open the hatch, she jumped out and glanced around. A movement in the shadows of the darkened bay surprised her. She whirled around to search that area and found herself face to face with Blane. Shock blazed through her like a lightning bolt. “You! What are you doing here?” Her voice echoed through the empty hold, taut with fear. Blane stood with crossed arms and regarded her with a long, appraising look. She looked like someone who’d spent the night sleeping on the ground under the trees. Her clothes had grass stains and a few leaves were tangled in her golden curls. Her eyes held a dazed look he didn’t like, though. He’d seen it before in his own eyes, reflected in the mirror after he returned from the meadow. Damn it, if the Fa’erie had worked their mischief on her— He leashed his temper and concentrated on her question. “I’ve been waiting for you to return. You ran away from me last night.” His heart ached to see the mounting bewilderment on her face. Well, he’d tried his best to save her, but she’d refused to listen. He hated to see her confusion, hated the way his chest constricted when she chewed on her bottom lip in frustrated embarrassment. She couldn’t remember anything, of course, but didn’t want to admit it. He’d expected that. He’d experienced the same thing when the Fa’erie had

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summoned him to the meadow. Her panicked look grew. Reaching out, he gripped her shoulders and gave her a little shake. “Running into the meadow was a foolish, stupid thing to do,” he growled. As he’d hoped, her panic vanished, replaced by anger at him. She jerked free of his hold with an almost inaudible snarl. Her hand brushed back her curls. Blane clenched his hands into fists at his side to keep from gathering her up in his arms and crushing her in a protective embrace. She would never forgive him if he took away her independence at this moment when she faced the truth that her mind had been tampered with. As much as he wanted to shield her, he had to let her face it on her own. Her hand pulled away from her hair. She stared in bewilderment at a leaf caught in her fingers. Her eyes opened wide, staring inward, searching for a memory. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to run away. I looked into the meadow and I saw…” Her voice faded away. Blane knew from his own experience that she was struggling to understand the overwhelming attraction of the great king, the sensuality that pulsed through the very air, beckoning her. He nodded and chose his words with care. He needed to know how much she remembered. He recalled his own fragile state after his experiences. Telling her too much too soon could produce a traumatic psychotic break. “I know what you saw. I’ve seen it too, more than once. Their beauty has a vast power to attract. That is why I warned you.” “I should have listened. I did listen. Only—” Once again her voice faded away. She lowered her head and hunched her shoulders, looking lost and bewildered. “Something you couldn’t control took hold of you.” “Yes, that’s it.” The usual confidence had vanished from her voice. She swallowed. “That’s not like me at all. I live a disciplined, celibate life in space.” Glancing sideways at him, remembering how he felt inside her, she blushed. “You probably don’t believe that.” “On the contrary, I do believe you. You couldn’t help yourself. The Fa’erie have an irresistible power to arouse erotic feelings in humans.” Although he tried, he couldn’t keep the bitterness from his voice. “Gods!” She shuddered, the blush on her cheeks deepening. “I do remember us—under the tree, going at it like animals.” “It’s all right.” The hurt on her face was too much for him. He touched her hand with his fingers. He wasn’t surprised when she jerked away. “Don’t!” She folded her hands up under her armpits and glared at him. “I hate people who can’t control their sexual emotions. I’ve had experiences with men—terrible experiences. Yet ever since I’ve landed on this damned world I’ve been driven by a sort of relentless lust—lust for you, lust for that Fa’erie king.” “Don’t blame yourself.” He kept his voice gentle. “It’s more than a human can do to resist them. I’ve gone out into the meadow myself. The night I first stumbled across this place, they called me there, I had to go. I couldn’t control myself.” He stopped speaking and waited, knowing she would have to ask the question.

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“Do you remember what happens after the magical gateway opens?” He tilted his head to one side and regarded her. That was the question—the question he couldn’t answer. He had to keep diverting her away from it while the Fa’erie magic continued to work on her mind. Eventually, the experience would fade from her consciousness as if the whole night had never happened. At least, he hoped so. That’s what had happened to him. He’d forgotten. But Ryol had remembered…Ryol with his strange lack of any passion at all…and then when Ryol needed more faerie dust, he’d forced him to visit a hypnotist to bring all the memories flooding back. He had to remember now. He had no choice. It would be easier for Ange. In a day or so she’d be gone from Kyffin. Once she was back in space, she’d find it easy to forget the whole thing. He smiled. “You look pale, like you’ve had a shock.” “A shock.” She fought down hysterical laughter. “I didn’t expect any of this to be real. I thought I’d go to the meadow and find some kind of illegal plant. Instead I stumble upon creatures who are what? Intelligent life? Alien life? Enough to shake the foundations of the Federation anyway if I report their existence.” “Report their existence? Don’t be insane. Who would believe you? You’re just lucky Ryol didn’t see you. He’s always careful not to look into the meadow while the dance is under way. He didn’t see you run out. And after that, I went over and made sure he was kept busy.” Ryol! Ange bit down on her lip. She’d intended all along to keep her investigation of the meadow a secret from him. If he found out she’d been spying on him, he’d be angry—and the anger of a wealthy man was not something to take lightly. Blane had saved her hide there. “You did that for me?” she asked, remembering the destruction she seen that morning. “For you, and because I want to stop him from using the Fa’erie dust to make Scent of Magic. We had a fight.” “I remember that much,” she whispered. Loud male voices shouting. She’d tried to run to Blane to help him. But the king had grabbed her arm. And then the blackness. A cold fear twisted in her gut again. Pain stabbed at her temples. “We fought for a while. The dust scatters fast if there’s any wind. He didn’t get much.” Blinking away the fear, she tried to concentrate on what Blane was saying. “He must have been furious.” Blane laughed. “He was livid! Especially since the king saw him. He won’t dare to approach the meadow again tonight for fear of the Fa’erie and what they might do.” “What will he do? Blane gave her an odd look. “I suppose he’ll raise the price of Scent of Magic, since it will be rarer than ever now. Hell, he’ll probably end up richer. Ryol has a way of making things work to his advantage. Anyway, I fulfilled my part of our bargain. I drew the Fa’erie back to the meadow and he got some dust. He’ll have to keep his part, too.” Ange touched a fingertip to her lips and considered the situation. Ryol had his dust. He’d want to leave

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soon. The Fa’erie music sang again in her mind, filling her with regret. She’d never know now what lay beyond that wondrous gate. “His part of our agreement is simple,” Blane continued. “He’s going to pay you to take the children off Kyffin.” It took a moment for Blane’s words to penetrate. “The children! He wants me to take the children?” Ange looked around at the cargo hold in disbelief. “What does he think this is, a nursery?” Impatience showed on Blane’s face. “Calm down. There’s not that many. It’s one of the reasons we hired you in the first place. Your cargo hold is big enough. The children can stay here during the voyage back to the Federation. Those crates we left on board contain cots and blankets, and food for the flight back.” As he spoke, he stepped closer. She saw his nose twitch. His eyes widened until the violet irises shrank to a thin ring of color. He leaned closer to her and took a deep breath. “You smell—you smell like hot sex on a white sand beach!” “Nothing unusual about that. It’s my special curse.” She dusted off her hands, aware that the faint glow was fading. Good. Her skin seemed a little sticky—maybe the tree had dripped sap on her as she slept. She needed a long, hot shower. His pupils dilated, turning his eyes black. He stepped even closer, intruding into her personal space, and drew in another deep breath. A sweat broke out on his brow. He fixed her with a look of sudden fierce desire and gritted his teeth. “Gods above, you reek of their smell. What did you do, lie down in the meadow and roll in the Fa’erie dust?” Ange backed away from his intense stare. A new fear stirred in her belly. Had she made her problem worse? “Hold on, tiger. Don’t accuse me when you’re the one who can’t restrain yourself whenever you get within breathing range.” A memory of riding his firm shaft the night before burst into her mind and her hot center stirred to life, sending warm waves of desire pulsing through her. He was close enough that his masculine scent filled her nostrils. Forests. Deep, dark forests, and wild sex under the trees. She stopped in midbreath and backed up two more steps before daring to breathe again. Even so, her whole body trembled with the intensity of her desire. She pressed her arms to her sides to keep from wrapping them around his neck and kissing him, long and hard. He bit down on his lower lip and clenched his hands. His obvious struggle to control the passion that blazed in his eyes frightened her. Both their struggles…damn the Fa’erie and their effect on the human libido. Ange hated her helplessness to combat this never-ending lust. And the worst of it was, Blane was one hell of a hot male. He didn’t need the Fa’erie magic to make her want him. Blane looked away, his features twisted with frustration. “It’s the dust. You must be covered with it. You’ll have to shower quickly, before Ryol gets a whiff. Even he will notice you today if you go on smelling like that.” “Blane.” The pain on his face hurt her. She held out her hands. “No, Ange. I don’t dare touch you. The moment I get near you, I start to burn with a need for you that tears me in two. It’s not of my free choosing. But I can’t blame it all on the dust, either. Fact is, you’re too damned attractive. I don’t know where my real feelings start or end.”

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He shook his head as if trying to free himself from some force and drew in a ragged breath. “This world has always been crazy, but it’s gotten even crazier with you here. You have the same attraction about you—the Fa’erie glamour, although I have no idea why. And I hate it. I hate it because it’s coming between us and I almost think I could love you without it.” Love! Ange’s heart skipped a beat at the word. Blane couldn’t possibly mean it. The scent of the dust in the air was making him imagine things. Tomorrow he would look at her with loathing in his eyes. Scent of Magic! If this was Fa’erie magic, their magic was a curse. “Don’t worry.” She edged around him toward the far doorway. “I’m headed for the shower. Some hot water and soap will take care of the problem.” “Too late for that.” Moving quicker than she’d expected, he grabbed her by both shoulders and pressed her up against the cold metal of one bulkhead. She got her hands up and shoved against the rock hard wall of his chest, but he seemed barely to notice. He pinned her against the unyielding metal. His hands grabbed her head, holding it steady, as he lowered his mouth to steal a greedy kiss. She gasped as his lips claimed hers, his mouth hot and demanding. Already his tongue was probing, sliding over her lips, demanding she surrender and grant him entrance. For a moment her resistance wavered. He tasted of warm summer days and spicy wine, and his hair, brushing her cheek, was as soft as woven silk. She remembered the ecstasy she’d experienced in his arms the night before and longed for more. A hollow sensation between her legs begged to be filled by the hard length she felt pressed against her stomach. His hands pushed aside her jacket and tugged at the self-seal seams of her blouse. She tried to wiggle away but his groping touch was relentless. Warm fingers curled around the soft flesh of her breasts, cupping them in a sensual exploration. Against her will, her nipples stiffened to rigid nubs under his skillful caress. His hard body, pressed against hers, gave evidence that her scent had brought him to full arousal. Her scent! He was responding to the faerie dust that covered her flesh, not to her. The moment he was free of her smell his lust would vanish. He was no different than all the men who wanted her, not because they loved her but because of the strange attraction that cursed her. Memories of old pain tumbled through her mind. “No!” she yelled and shoved against him with all her strength. He stumbled back half a step and she broke free. Whirling to face him, she drew her stunner from the holster at her side. “Stop right there, Blane, or I will shoot.” He froze. His harsh breathing echoed in the cargo bay. Ange backed toward the door. “Listen…to…me…the dust.” His jaw clenched, he forced each word out. Ange halted with her gun at ready. Blane was making an immense effort to speak and he knew the effects of the dust better than she did. “The dust is almost microscopic, and it has gotten deep into your skin. You’ve taken in such a high dose the effect on any male will be overwhelming. Add that to the ability you’ve already shown to attract males and it spells nothing but trouble. You don’t dare go near anyone male. Get in the shower and scrub until your skin is raw if you can. Maybe the effect will drop to an endurable level if you do.”

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She frowned. “It won’t go away?” He grabbed at the handle to a storage locker as if he needed an anchor to hold himself in place. “Not as much as you’ve gotten on you. Like I said, it sinks down into your skin, into your lungs. It happened to me years ago when I went into the meadow, and I bear the mark to this day.” Oh, great. She blinked back sudden tears. That was all she needed, a double curse. “Isn’t there anything I can do?” she asked in despair. “The shower will help, but the glamour will never leave you completely. Do as I say and maybe we can discuss this further in a couple of hours as long as we keep at a fair distance from each other. Right now all I can think about is how much I want you.” He let go of the handle and took a stumbling half-step toward her, his eyes again blazing with passion. Her gun still at ready, Ange bolted out the door and down the passageway to her cabin. Her heart raced as she slammed the door behind her and locked it. Would her scent linger in the air? Would it draw Ryol to her door like a ravening wolf? Pulling off her clothes in a frenzy, she jumped into the shower and turned the water on full blast.

Chapter Twelve

Three hours later, Ange headed back for the cargo hold of the Hawk’s Flight. Her skin glowed from the scrubbing she’d given it and she wore fresh clothes. She’d consigned the blouse and pants she’d worn to the meadow to the ship’s incinerator. She passed Jake in the corridor. He glanced at her with his usual expression of calm interest. If only men could behave like androids. But men were flesh and blood and something in her flesh and blood drove them wild. The Fa’erie dust…she’d found out for herself that it had the effect Ryol claimed it had. She strode into the cargo hold, determined to get to the bottom of this insane situation. Blane sat on a crate with his arms folded and his head bent, lost in thought.

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At the sound of her footsteps, he lifted his head, his violet eyes alight with life in his tanned face. She was too far away to catch his scent, but the brooding stare he gave her lit a fire that sizzled clear down to her toes. She lifted her chin and folded her arms across her chest. A flush spread over her face, mimicking the waves of heat that burned through her body and pooled in her private parts whenever she saw him. This man’s fingers had caressed her breasts a short time ago, and her skin shivered at the memory of that arousing touch. “Blane.” She stopped a few steps from where he sat and balanced on the balls of her feet, ready to bolt if their emotions once more skyrocketed out of control. “Okay, you were right. I should have stayed away from the meadow.” Bathing her in his slow, sensual smile, he got to his feet. She became aware of her defensive stance and the way he dominated the space. He possessed a natural authority, not to mention being far too attractive, especially when he looked at her like that with a soul-haunting longing in his eyes. He took a step in her direction and sniffed the air. Some of the tension on his face seemed to ease. “Better. You followed my instructions for once.” She bristled at the idea that she’d followed his orders. “I needed a long shower after last night. And it sure beat getting raped.” He didn’t even have the grace to blush. Instead, he shot her a bold grin. “You’re a hard woman to resist, Ange. You’re attractive without the dust. Hell, I don’t know why you can turn men on like you do, but you don’t need it. You don’t need any of it. A man would be crazy not to want you.” Her heart thumped in her chest. She suspected this little speech might be as close as Blane ever got to a flowery declaration. She ached to hear more, but caution made her hold up a hand. “Is that you talking or the faerie dust?” His lips twitched as he moved even closer to her, his hot stare bringing back memories of his delicious kisses. “That’s the curse behind faerie magic—you can’t ever be certain what’s real. The dust will always add a magical allure.” She remembered the night she’d met him and the way her knees had grown shaky with desire. Was it because of the dust and the glamour it left behind, or had she seen something in those violet eyes that had called to her soul? He was a strong man who knew what it was to struggle to survive on a hostile world, a man who was uniquely able to understand her problem because he suffered from something like it himself, and a fabulous lover to boot. She’d be crazy not to be attracted to him. Perhaps the dust had triggered her lust, but she’d chosen to pursue it. She was no puppet to be jerked on a string. The feelings for Blane growing in her heart were real. Or did everyone trapped within the snares of the arousing faerie glamour think the same thing? She reached across the distance between them, wanting to touch him. But he stood out of reach. “I’m certain of my feelings.” “Are you?” Sorrow darkened his gaze. “I’ve been marked by the dust. I’ve gone into the Otherworld and walked among the Fa’erie. I have their magic scent in my bones. No one sees me as Blane Llewelyn anymore. Their glamour clings to me like a cloak.” “I know what you mean. I’ve suffered from the same curse. Maybe that very suffering gives me the

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ability to see beyond the glamour, to see you as you are.” Moved by his distress, she closed the distance between them and put a hand on his chest. His heart beat in a steady rhythm beneath her fingertips. Joy flowed through her as she felt the throbbing and her own heart settled into a matching pace. His clean scent washed over her and her blood heated in her veins. “Can you?” He sounded uncertain. “I know how it is, Blane. Men want me and don’t know why. As soon as they stop to think about it, they’re disgusted, even frightened, by their overpowering reaction. They get scared and want nothing more than to get as far away from me as possible. It’s not like that with you. It’s like a candle lit in a sun-filled room. I know its light is there, but it’s not needed in the radiance around it. I know the dust has marked you, but my desire for you runs so much deeper than that superficial yearning.” “By the gods, you give me hope.” He took her hand where it lay against his chest and lifted it to his warm lips. She shivered as his breath tickled her palm. The touch of his lips was soft and tender. She’d never admitted to wanting a man before, yet the thought of losing this dark-haired stranger distressed her to her very bones. She took a deep breath, wanting to savor his scent, magic or no magic. He drew her into his arms and kissed her, soft, tender kisses that fell like a gentle morning rain on her forehead and her cheeks. A low murmur of desire escaped her as his thumb traced the line of her cheekbone. “Ange.” He buried his face deep in her curls, his voice shaky. “I want you. I can’t deny that. But I want to know you, too. I want to grow to love every part of you—heart and soul and body.” Smiling, she snuggled closer to the heat of his body. Her senses were on full alert, aroused by his scent. His arms held her tight, but now they were a safe harbor. His firm thighs pressed against hers, stimulating erotic thoughts. “The effect of the dust must fade to some extent if you stay away from the meadow long enough,” she murmured. “Look at Ryol. No one’s finding him unbearably attractive.” “The Fa’erie never called him into their realm—that’s why.” “The Otherworld.” Abruptly, she pulled away. How could she forget so easily? She shot him an appraising look. “You know, it’s odd, but I don’t remember a thing about it.” Blane chewed on his lip in distress. Ange was relentless. He loved her stubborn determination. But she didn’t seem to be forgetting the whole night in the meadow as he’d hoped she would. Was it because of her other differences, because of the alluring scent that clung to her, so like the scent of the mystical faerie perfume? Was she somehow a part of this Fa’erie strangeness as he seemed to be? “You wouldn’t. The Fa’erie king—Oberon, he calls himself, although I think it’s only because he’s plucked the name from our minds—blocked your memory when he brought you back.” “Blocked it?” Her brows drew together. “You knew what would happen if I ran into the meadow, didn’t you.” “Yes, that’s why I tried to stop you.” He sighed. “But I should have guessed it can’t be done short of tying you up and locking you in a room, and I’m not sure even that would work. You have a connection to the faeries. Don’t ask me how. But their magic called you, and a trip into the meadow was inevitable.”

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“Has this ever happened to others? Or is the meadow a secret between you and Ryol and Sharlene?” “It is. Because I was summoned in our family. But I’m certain I was not the first to be called there. Like I said, there is not much to do in a colony at night. After it happened to me, I researched old files, diaries, journals. I think others in my family were summoned—my mother, my grandfather.” “Why you but not Ryol?” Blane brushed a stray lock of hair out of his eyes. “I think it’s because we’re half-brothers. Sharlene and Ryol are children of my father’s first marriage. After their mother died, he married my mother and I was born.” “And that’s why Ryol can look away and resist their summons?” “Yes. It’s something in the blood, although I’m not sure what. Whatever it is, I’ve inherited it.” Blane looked away, hating the sudden pity in her eyes. “You managed to resist last night.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I knew what to expect. You didn’t.” Ange lifted her chin a notch. “So what happened to me?” “There’s no need to be upset. They didn’t harm you in any way. I would have tied you up if I’d thought they were going to do that.” To his surprise, she laughed. “I’d like to see you try. Why did they take me? It’s time you told me all you know about that meadow.” Blane lifted his hands to his head. His temples were beginning to pound. Closing his eyes, he rubbed them, but the throbbing only increased. “Blane?” Cocking his head to one side, he opened his eyes again. Ange was staring at him with an uneasy expression. “What’s wrong?” she demanded. He frowned, puzzled by the intensity of her demand. “Nothing. I’ve already told you, I was drawn there years ago. Ryol followed me—that’s how he discovered the dust. I’ll bet he didn’t tell you that. I was thirteen at the time and all I knew about women was the usual adolescent fantasies. Like you, I made the mistake of watching the faeries dance. It was the queen who summoned me into the light, though. When I came back to New Hope, I was saturated with the scent as you are. I had several very—how shall I put it—intense erotic experiences.” “I’m sure you did.” Jealousy surged through Ange, leaving her questions about the meadow momentarily forgotten. “Believe me, when you’re thirteen years old, you’re not ready for those kinds of experiences.” “I know.” Ange’s flash of jealousy vanished replaced by sympathy. “I was twelve when it started for

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me—with my first period. A man—he tried to—” “Ange—” The way he said her name, his voice warm with concern, made her heart do strange gyrations in her chest. Damn those faeries and what they’d done to both of them. Blane might have returned from his first trip to the meadow reeking of Fa’erie dust, but she doubted any woman would need supernatural urging to take this man to bed now that he was grown. His smile lit up the hold, making her knees melt and her stomach do flip-flops every time his dimple appeared. The effect he had on her was uncanny. She frowned as she struggled to rein in her out-of-control libido. “I guess neither one of us had a normal adolescence. How long was it before the scent died away?” “It never left completely.” His eyes took on the faraway look of someone lost in memories. “The women soon realized something strange was affecting them, though. No gangly thirteen-year-old is that charming. It wasn’t long before they learned to keep their distance from me. I suspect constant exposure to the scent grants some immunity. Anyway, that worked for a couple of years—until I got older.” And turned into the handsomest piece of manhood this side of the Abandoned Zone. Ange smiled at the thought. “A few of them succumbed to my charms—or my scent, I should say. There weren’t that many young men to choose from, after all. I’ve never had a lot to compare myself to. For a while, I had my own harem and the other men hated me.” He paused, lost in thought. Laying a hand on his arm, she drew him back to the present. “What happened?” “I finally figured out it was my scent they craved, not me. I saw one of them with someone else one day in the forest. They didn’t know I was watching. They held each other—talked—kissed. I saw what genuine love was like. I knew in that moment that all I’d ever known was the Fa’erie lust. I wanted more and I wasn’t willing to settle for less. I’ve been lonely ever since—” He paused, searching her face with his eyes. “Until I saw you.” A lump choked her throat. She blinked hard and curved an arm around his neck. Standing on her tiptoes, she pressed her lips to his in a long, tender kiss. The intimate joining of their mouths was all she needed at this moment. Their passion stayed muted, revealed only by their quickened breathing, as their lips made tender promises to each other. His fingers brushed through her hair, twisting in the silky curls. She rested her head on his shoulder and took a deep breath. His scent aroused her as always but not so much that it overwhelmed her mind’s control. She wanted to make love with him again—soon—but this time with slow and pleasurable deliberation. She wanted to explore every inch of his body, to lie side by side and drown in his eyes while their bodies merged together in the ancient dance. She lifted her head and met his gaze. His eyes smoldered with desire as they swept over her. “We’re soul mates, Ange,” he said. “Two of a kind. I’m beginning to think the Fa’erie king called you to Kyffin.”

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Chapter Thirteen

“How can that be?” Ange frowned. Blane still hadn’t told her anything about his experiences in the Otherworld. Every time they came near the subject, she lost her focus and her thoughts became muddled. The next thing she knew they were discussing something else. Laser-sharp concentration, that’s what she needed. “It’s like an enchantment,” he said, his words echoing her thoughts. “Every time you try to talk about the Otherworld, your mind does a strange twist and those memories slide away. I’ve never been able to speak of it directly to anyone beyond a sentence or two.” She nodded and opened her mouth to ask him a question. Instead, her gaze fastened on his chin. So strong. So firm. She lifted her fingers to trace its curve. Her fingertips drifted upward to his cheek and the place where the dimple appeared when he smiled. Why was he looking so serious? She longed to see him smile his wide, dazzling smile. He inclined his head toward her. “You look a little dazed. The Otherworld must have left you reeling.” The Otherworld? She frowned. It took an effort to bring back the memory of the meadow. Had Oberon tampered with her mind? If so, the Fa’erie had made a big mistake. She scratched her head to clear away the fog, determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. “I am having problems concentrating. What about Ryol? How does all this affect him?” “He doesn’t know anything about the Otherworld. He’s always waited until the Fa’erie dance was over to go into the meadow. The man has no soul.” “It’s sad,” she protested. “The creator of Scent of Magic, the ultimate love potion, is a cold and calculating bastard.” “I feel responsible for what he’s doing with that damned dust. I led him to the meadow. He saw the chance to make a fortune. Then the ship came and we were gone. But I always knew we would have to come back to Kyffin someday. The Fa’erie wanted me—and now it seems that they want you.” “Wait a minute.” Ange backed away from his arms, intrigued. “We met by accident.” “Did we? You go into the Abandoned Zone because your difference has driven you away from a normal life. I don’t think any of this is an accident. More is going on here than we understand. I’m trying to come up with a theory. No luck yet. In the meantime, you’d better stay away from Ryol while you’ve got this

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fresh dose of dust on you. Even he might notice.” “Why should I care if he knows I followed him to the meadow?” Ange asked with a defiant tilt of her head. “No need to have him for an enemy,” Blane warned. “True.” She hated to admit it, but Blane was right. Ryol was a wealthy man and given his possession of the secret to Scent of Magic, he no doubt wielded a lot of influence with those in power back in the Federation. He could make major trouble for her. What if he thought she’d visited the meadow to gather her own supply of the dust? “What should I do?” The younger brother frowned at her. “You need to be careful. He’s not in a good mood today. Our fight attracted the attention of the Fa’erie king. Oberon got angry and conjured a rain out of nowhere. Ryol was lucky to get any dust at all.” She’d been so certain Ryol was lying, she’d never thought about the possible consequences of following him to the meadow. She’d stumbled upon far more than she’d bargained for. What was she going to do? “He’d planned to leave today,” she muttered. “I’m surprised he hasn’t been by my cabin to tell me when he wants to take off.” Blane flashed his teeth in a victorious grin. “We have a deal. He’s can’t leave until arrangements are complete to take the children with us.” Ange frowned. She tugged on a strand of hair and glanced around the empty hold. The ship was hers. The thought of Blane striking a deal with Ryol without even a word to her was aggravating. Blane smiled at her. “The deal was clear. I call the Fa’erie, he collects the dust, he pays to take the children back to the Federation. He got some dust, so he has no cause to complain.” “Maybe not, but what about me?” She poked her thumb into her chest. The look he gave her was full of innocent surprise. “I never doubted for a minute you’d take them if I could get Ryol to agree. But if it’s money you’re worried about, you’ll be well paid. It would take a hardhearted person indeed to turn their back on the plight of these children.” “There’s nothing wrong with my heart.” What was he suggesting, that she was some unfeeling ogre? He was right. They did barely know each other, despite their wild lovemaking sessions. She made a sweeping gesture that took in the Hawk’s Flight. “And it’s not just my credit account that I worry about, even though this ship costs plenty to fly. If I show up back at the Federation with a bunch of children there’ll be a ton of official questions to answer—questions that might keep me grounded for weeks, even months. But I don’t suppose that ever occurred to you.” She caught his gaze, hoping to see sympathetic understanding. Instead, he laughed. “Stay calm! I’m sure my brother has sufficient influence to smooth the way for you.” She frowned, weighing her options. Her momentary anger at Blane’s indifference to her problems faded as she recalled Michel and his innocent blue-eyed stare. She could make room for the children in the hold, all right—if Ryol could make the official inquiry go away.

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“I’ll need to discuss the details with your brother,” she said through stiff lips. Blane snorted. “You do that. But I advise waiting a day or two. If you talk to him today, he’ll smell the dust on you.” “Fine.” She shot another glance around the hold. She could subdivide the space some way, provide a bit of privacy for the children. “I can avoid him today and talk to him tomorrow. One more night on Kyffin won’t hurt.” “It will be longer than that. I need to talk to the parents and it may take me a few days to persuade them. The families will want time to say goodbye.” She could understand that, but the delay irritated her. She wanted to get off Kyffin, far away from the Fa’erie. “You don’t seem to realize that time is money in my business.” Blane planted his hands on his hips. “Sorry! I guess I’ll just snatch the kids out of their parents’ arms and yell goodbye on my way up the ladder.” The image was so ridiculous it made her smile. “That’s better.” He grinned at her. “Ryol will probably want to stay a day or two longer anyway. If I know my brother, he’s hatching some plan to sneak back up to the meadow. The two moons will rise together once more tonight.” “That’s right,” she whispered, amazed that she’d forgotten. Oberon’s enchantments were strong, but the Fa’erie king wasn’t going to make her forget, not while she still needed answers. Frowning, she concentrated until the memory of the dance once more filled her mind with a haunting beauty. It would all happen again tonight. The king would appear with his queen. The light of infinity would stream out again. She had only to walk into it— Alarm appeared on Blane’s face. “I know that look. Don’t tell me you’re thinking of going back to the meadow. Ryol doesn’t want the faeries upset any more than they have already been. If he caught you there, I can’t say what he might do.” She tapped her stun gun with her fingers. “Your brother doesn’t frighten me.” “Youare thinking of going back,” Blane accused. All trace of humor vanished. His face grew dark with anger. “What do you want to do? If you think you can defeat the faerie magic, you’re wrong.” “I can try.” Blast it, who did Blane think he was, arguing with her. If she wanted to return to the meadow, she would. She was damned if this man was going to dictate her every move. She leaned forward and poked a finger in his chest. Rock hard muscles resisted her. The man was in splendid shape all right. And his lips were extremely kissable. But it seemed her libido was affecting her ability to think. Too many things were happening because of the faerie allure. She had to put a stop to that. She narrowed her eyes. “I stepped into the meadow, because the Fa’erie king—or whatever he is—saw me and beckoned me inside. But I can’t remember a thing after that.” His gaze slid to the right. What was wrong with him anyway? Did he really have trouble talking about it, or was it some game he was playing with her? He’d already confessed that he’d visited the meadow more than once. He had to know something. Her stomach twisted, telling her more was involved than

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Blane wanted to admit. She had to get to the bottom of it. “I don’t like having my memories toyed with. You’ve been to the Otherworld. What do you remember?” He met her gaze, a growing sadness in his eyes. “Nothing from my initial experience. The journey to the Otherworld is simply too overwhelming to the human mind. That’s why Oberon takes control of our minds, I think. To protect us. Bits and pieces the second. Most of it the third. I never went back to the meadow after that, until last night.” Her pulse beat faster in her throat. She trembled on the brink of remembering, but her mind seemed to back away, as if from a precipice. She rubbed sweaty palms against her pants, troubled by the sorrow on his face. “Why not?” He drew a hand across his eyes in a weary gesture. “If I knew, I’d tell you. Sometimes I have dreams of a beautiful land, more beautiful than we can endure. Maybe it was that—maybe the sheer bliss of the place was too much.” His voice faded away. His eyes held no conviction that his theory was true. Instead they gazed through her, as if searching for answers, while violet shadows gathered in their depths. Ange straightened. This was nonsense. If they couldn’t remember, they needed to know why. “Okay. But I intend to go back, one more time. I want some answers.” To her surprise, Blane took her hand. His fingers were warm as they curled around hers. He looked at her with agony in his eyes. “Please, promise me you won’t. There’s nothing good waiting in that meadow, no matter how beautiful the Fa’erie appear.’ “Why do you say that?” His brow furrowed and his eyes lost focus. He lifted a hand to rub his temples. “I-I don’t know.” Ange tossed her head. “Well, maybe you can stand to live your life with a mystery at its core, but I can’t. I intend to go back there tonight and get some answers.” Blane struggled to speak. He stumbled over each word, as if some inner force were trying to stop him. “You’re making a mistake. The Fa’erie aren’t human, and they’re not even faeries. Forget all the lovely tales you heard as a child. Think of them as aliens, aliens who may be hostile for all we know, and you’ll be closer to the truth.” Ange nodded. That might indeed be the reality behind the Fa’erie myth. “I’ve thought the same. They told me they were faeries though.” She frowned at her own words. When had that happened? When the king had looked at her—that’s right. He sent a stream of thoughts into her mind, thoughts that told her of the faeries and of him, their king. He’d even sent her his name, Oberon. But were those thoughts the truth or some lie designed to deceive her? “They sent the same thoughts to me when I first went to the meadow,” Blane said. “But I’ve since wondered if they didn’t steal their whole folklore wholesale from my mind. Our family is Celtic. I grew up with stories about the faeries. They could have taken it all out of my subconscious.” “What would they really be, then?”

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“Aliens, creatures from another dimension. I don’t know. Telepathic certainly, and able to manipulate energy. There has to be a reason for the patterns they dance. I think the meadow is some kind of energy nexus for this entire sector of space and the patterns they weave affect everything within that area. I think they live in another dimension where they’ve learned to master using focused energy to shape our reality. But they are too much like humans for it to be a coincidence. There has to be some sort of connection between our races.” Ange swallowed. This whole thing was becoming more complicated than she would have ever believed possible. “Why would they want to shape our reality?” “My theory is that we are a lower level of their reality. If that’s the case, they need to keep events flowing in a certain direction here for their level to remain stable.” “Then they might be as guilty of manipulation as Ryol.” Ange grew angry as she remembered Oberon’s terrible beauty. She didn’t want to think that such a glorious creature might harbor motives as selfish as humanity’s usually were. Why had he taken her into the Fa’erie world and what had he done to her there? Blane reached out and took her hand, his touch gentle. Nonetheless, her heartbeat quickened. Was it the damned dust or the incredible violet of his eyes? She wished she knew. His face twisted as he forced out a few words about the Otherworld. “They promised me they worked toward the highest good of all creatures. I believed them when they said it, but once I was away from the meadow doubts began to trouble me.” Ange bit her lip. As hard as it was to believe a creature as beautiful as Oberon might harbor evil, she had her own doubts. “What about the effects of this dust? I’d like to hear them explain that one. Driving you to mindless lust, or turning you into a love slave. How does that lead to your highest good?” Blane rubbed his temples and sighed. “Good questions, and I don’t know the answers. The dust seems to be suffused with the Fa’erie’s essence—their overwhelming attractiveness. I suppose that’s neither good nor bad by itself. It’s how you use it that makes the difference. Ryol sells it to people with money who want to control others through desire. That’s evil, in my book. You stand there and reek of the dust and I cannot control my attraction to you, but I can’t help but think in that case the dust only helps me to see how unbearably beautiful you truly are.” His words took her by surprise. She looked down at the deck, embarrassed by his vehement passion. “I’m not that special.” “Yes, you are. You have an outer beauty that can’t be denied, but your inner beauty is even more spectacular.” His voice soothed her spirit like a warm balm. She blinked hard, overwhelmed by fierce emotion. The thought that this man wanted her in spite of her secret moved her in a way she could not explain. “How can you ever be sure what you feel is the truth? Maybe your perceptions are colored by whatever the faeries have done to change us.” He laughed. “You’re a demanding woman, Ange Bennett. What is the truth? Does the dust reveal it or conceal it? Questions for the Fa’erie, perhaps.” “Exactly, and that’s why I intend to go back there.”

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He shook his head. “I see you won’t listen to reason. If you must go back, keep a sharp eye out for Ryol. He may try to get more of the dust.” She eyed him with dismay. “You won’t come with me?” A pained look slid across his face. “I don’t think I can. The other night…I started the fight with Ryol because I knew if I didn’t do something that instant, I would lose all control and run out into the meadow with you. I wanted to walk into the light with Oberon. And that thought frightened me more than I can say. Because if I go into the Otherworld one more time, I’m not sure I’ll ever come back again.” Alarmed by the sudden agony in his voice, she laid a quieting hand on his arm. “Don’t be concerned about me. I’ll be okay. I’m a hardboiled space brat. Oberon may have hypnotized me once, but it’s not going to happen again.” Blane forced a smile, making his dimple appear. “A hardboiled space brat with golden curls. You look lovely enough to be a Fa’erie yourself.” Ange swallowed hard and looked away. With other men fear and repulsion followed the lust. Blane showed no sign of that. His reaction was even more startling than the Fa’erie magic. Nothing on this planet was what she expected. With a shake of her head, she started to move around the hold. If she was going to transport the children to Tau Delta, she’d have to make some changes.

***

Blane watched as Ange prowled the cargo bay. Maybe the magical forgetfulness had set in at last. She’d dropped the subject of the meadow and turned to the problem of housing the children who would be traveling within her ship’s metal walls. Conditions in the hold would be primitive, but Blane wasn’t particularly worried about that. The children had endured poor conditions at the colony for years. The hold was no worse than the buildings they lived in every day. The cold metal floor bore scars from the many crates dragged over its surface. The walls were painted a pale yellow in a valiant attempt to cheer up the space. It didn’t work. The yellow faded into the shadows cast by the stark overhead light, leaving only dingy patches that struggled against the encroaching gloom. “Maybe softer lighting will help.” Ange put her hands on her hips and twisted in a slow circle. “It’s big enough anyway. We can get twenty youngsters in here easily enough.” Blane nodded. Hell, there was room for all fifty colonists for that matter. He opened his mouth to suggest that option, then shut it again. The children were the priority. He’d pushed Ryol to the limit to get him to agree to that. Ryol wasn’t happy about the expense of transporting the children to the Federation. Besides Ange’s fee, there would be Federation authorities to bribe when they showed up with unregistered children on board. And, he’d promised to send them to proper schools where they could get the training they would need. Better to concentrate on getting them off-world and worry about the adults the next time Ryol returned for his magic dust.

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No doubt there would be a next time. His brother needed more dust. Ryol had been enraged at his interference last night. He had the scars to prove it. Wincing slightly, he probed the bruise on his jaw where Ryol had landed a wild punch and rubbed his sore knuckles. In the clear light of morning he was surprised Ryol hadn’t tried to back out of his agreement. But Ryol needed Blane to summon the Fa’erie. If he ever learned Ange had the same power, he’d make her life living hell. “Captain?” Jake’s voice blasted out of the communicator on Ange’s jacket. She slapped the transmit button. “Yes?” “Ryol Llewelyn is asking for you. Where are you?” Blane caught her eye and gave his head a shake. “You don’t want to see him, not today. Tomorrow maybe, after another shower or two.” Ange hesitated only a second before hitting the switch again. “Give Mr. Llewelyn my regrets and tell him I can’t see him today. I am taking the lander and traveling—ah—south to see the sights.” “He may ask me what sights you are going to see.” As usual, Jake’s android brain saw the future as a logical extension of the present. Ange released the communicator button and cast a desperate look at Blane. “That’s simple. Tell him you’re going to see the second colony.” Blane rubbed his hands together in glee. He’d always wanted to investigate the fate of the second colony, but by the time he was old enough to fly solo a shortage of replacement parts had grounded all the colony’s landers. Ange’s dilemma gave him the perfect excuse to go. “What second colony?” Ange looked confused. “There was another settlement south of here. It fell silent about five years before I left. No one knows for sure what happened. I’d intended to ask you if you’d consider a trip there.” Ange relayed Blane’s information about the second colony to Jake and signed off with the android. “How long will the flight take?” Blane laughed. “That depends on how fast you fly your lander.” Ange planted a hand on her hip. “I’m known as a pretty hot pilot.” Blane suppressed a leer. “I’ll bet you are. Figure two hours flight time. We’ll check out the colony and maybe have time to see a bit of Kyffin.” His mind hummed with plans for the day. Keeping Ange away from Ryol was the first priority, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have some fun while doing it. Before the colony’s last lander had died, he’d explored hundreds of incredibly beautiful beaches within flying distance. One particular beach sprang to mind—a lover’s paradise. He pictured Ange sprawled nude on the clean white sand as a thundering wave washed over them both. “Sightseeing?” Ange looked doubtful. “This is a world full of islands. What’s to see?”

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“You’d be surprised.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Surprise me, then. I suggest we get out of here before Ryol tracks me down. I’ll get the lander refueled and supplied. You do whatever you need to do and meet me in the launch bay in half an hour.” “No problem.” Blane turned away to hide his grin at her spat of orders. No doubt bossiness came with the territory for a starship captain. He wondered how she would be at sharing in an equal relationship. For that matter, how would he be? He lived an independent life on Tau Delta, doing as he pleased much of the time. He wasn’t as wealthy as Ryol, but no man—or woman—was his boss. If he followed Ange into her world, that would change. He shook off the thought. He couldn’t make any plans for a future until he found a way to keep his brother from exploiting the Fa’erie.

Chapter Fourteen

Blane met Ange at the lander carrying a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He flopped down in the co-pilot’s seat and gave her the coordinates for the second colony. They flew south to the other colony site, which Blane had explained was located on the coast of a large island. The colonists of New Hope had been in contact with the other colony via radio until the signals had stopped fifteen years ago. Blane feared the worst but wanted to settle the mystery. As they circled in from the air, they saw the forest had overrun the decrepit buildings. The colony appeared lifeless. Landing confirmed their fears. They searched the empty buildings expecting to find bodies—skeletons, perhaps—but there was no trace of the colonists. They spent the morning poking around in the ruins, but the mystery only deepened as they pieced together the final days of the men and women who had lived there. Blane found the colony’s main computer and managed to retrieve what records there were of the end, using auxiliary power from the lander. As they combed through the files, a frightening scenario emerged. “It looks like they all went into the Otherworld,” Blane said at last. He leaned back in his seat, his eyes darker than ever with the pain of his inner demons.

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“And willingly at that,” Ange added, rubbing her forehead. She’d spent the past two hours staring at the screen and a headache pounded at her temples. “No one writes a word of being forced. They welcomed their interaction with the Fa’eries. And they wanted to leave Kyffin for the Otherworld. They considered it a better place to live out their days.” “They may be right about that.” Blane sounded bitter. “But why did the Fa’erie interact with the whole colony here, but only with you in New Hope?” Blane’s expression turned even grimmer. “I have a suspicion. My grandfather on my mother’s side was from this colony. I share blood with these people.” Ange got up from her seat to stand at one of the shattered windows. “You think there’s a link to the faerie in your blood? But what about me? As far as I know, no one in my family has ever been to Kyffin.” She shuddered. “I’m beginning to think everyone should get off this damnable planet. With the children gone, New Hope will die anyway. Why struggle on? After seeing what happened here. I’m willing to cram the whole colony on Hawk somehow.” She turned around in time to see a muscle twitch in Blane’s cheek. “Not everyone wants to escape Kyffin. As it stands right now, two of the parents don’t want their children to leave with us, and the adults won’t be that much different. Selfish and stupid in my opinion, but there you are. The human race in a nutshell. With luck, I can get most of them to change their minds, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we leave a few behind. Besides, I suspect my brother plans to bring new people in. He’ll want to establish some sort of base on this world as the market for his Scent of Magic grows.” “I won’t be a part of that.” “I know. And I’m grateful. But the truth is, if Ryol wants to return to this planet and collect his Fa’erie dust once a year, I can’t stop him.” “You can refuse to cooperate. You can refuse to call the Fa’erie.” “And I will once all the colonists who want to leave are off this planet. But it looks like I’m not unique. Knowing him, he’ll find some way to summon the Faerie.” Ange sighed and walked over to the desk where Blane sat. He shuffled aimlessly through some scattered disks as if looking for one last clue to the tragedy all around them. Without thinking, she placed her hands on his shoulders, her fingers digging deep into his tense muscles. “Ah, that feels good.” A smile crossed his face as he relaxed under her hands. She slid her massaging fingers further up his neck into the tangled mass of his brown hair. The silky strands tangled in her fingers. Steel muscle and silken hair. Someone lonely like her but with a heart that cared about his colony, about the Fa’eries and the fate of the world. Was it his faerie glamour that attracted her or the honor and compassion she saw in his soul? She lifted her hands and he half-twisted around in his seat to stare up at her. Then he rose in one swift movement and took her in his arms. His mouth covered hers, his lips hungry. A million suns exploded in her loins as she surrendered to his soul-searing kiss.

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She buried her hands in his hair again, hungry for the taste and smell of him. When at last they parted from the kiss and stared into each other’s eyes, Ange knew her heart was lost. It no longer mattered how their passion had started, love had captured her lonely heart. She belonged to this man body and soul. Without a word they gathered up their belongings and left the empty colony behind. Ange angled the lander up into a clear sky and watched the island drop away with a feeling of relief. They headed southeast until they came to a lush outcropping of emerald green set like a jewel in the glittering sea. “That looks promising,” Ange said, pointing to a pristine beach of clean white sand kissed by sea foam waves. An eager light appeared in Blane’s eyes. “Know how to swim?” She laughed. “I may have spent my life on starships of one kind of another, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t seen a swimming pool.” “The ocean is something else again,” Blane warned. “Especially with two moons. The tides and currents are tricky.” “It’s only a swim. How bad can it be? Or does Kyffin have man-eating fish?” She frowned as she tried to remember the name of the fearsome creatures said to haunt the oceans back on Earth. Sharks. That was it. “No. It’s quite safe.” Ange landed her craft on the long grass that waved in the wind above the beach. A strip of pure white sand beckoned to them. “Race you to the water,” she said, drawing in a deep breath of the fresh sea air. “I need to find a private spot first.” Blane winked at her. “Behind some bushes. You go on down. I’ll be there in a minute.” Ange hesitated, but the sparkling blue water called out to her. She spent most of her days and nights in space, staring at the stars. How often did she get to splash in a warm ocean or walk untouched white beaches? With a smile at Blane, she ran toward the water’s edge. When she reached the sand, the slippery grains slid under her heavy boots. Wanting to feel its gritty texture under her bare feet, she pulled off her boots and socks. She buried her feet in the sun-warmed sand and wiggled her toes. The breeze plucked at her clothes as if urging her to go further. Why not? With a delighted laugh, she realized she and Blane were alone on the island. No one would see. And if Blane became aroused by her bold display…for once, she would welcome the presence of a lust-maddened male. Smiling, she pulled off her clothes. Within moments, boots and pants and her shirt littered her trail to the water’s edge. “Quite a show!” Blane yelled from the ridge where the lander was parked. He ran toward her, his fingers

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already tugging at his tunic. More clothes fell on the sand. Ange plunged into the water, followed by Blane. The warm ocean embraced their naked bodies, and when their lips met amid the crashing of the waves, Ange tasted the salt sea on his kiss. They spent the day frolicking in the ocean and laying on white sand under a hot sun, exploring their mutual attraction with kisses and caresses that quickly turned to fierce bouts of lovemaking. Between their sessions of shared passion, they lay side by side and talked. She told him of her miserable childhood as a ship’s brat, hauled from world to world, from danger to danger, never knowing a home or a moment of true security. Even her most beloved possession, the Hawk, was purchased at a terrible price, the compensation for her mother’s accident. He told her of his boyhood on Kyffin, so different from her experiences. He’d been rooted to one world, locked in to its tempo and its seasons, dependent on its bounty for survival. She began to understand why some of the colonists might refuse to leave it. As they talked, their voices mingled with the endless rhythm of the sea. The even, steady sound of waves whispering over sand soothed Ange’s tense nerves. The tragedy of Kyffin weighed on her. So much invested, so much lost. She said as much to Blane as they sat on the beach. He stared into the surging waves with a thoughtful expression. “Flying up here, I saw a hundred better sites where my ancestors could have settled.” “I assumed there was a reason the original settlers wanted to be near the mountains. A mineral, perhaps.” Blane scowled. “We’ll never know. The colony was financed by private funds, so the information in our records is limited to ‘need to know.’ Anyone who knew the real reason was probably evacuated when the civil wars started in the Federation.” “Leaving the rest of you out here to die.” Ange shivered. As a starship captain, she was accustomed to dealing with the sometimes brutal realities of space, but the willing cruelty of humanity never ceased to amaze her. She leaned back on her elbows and studied the bright blue expanse above her. She’d traveled the Second Federation and beyond into the dangerous Abandoned Zone but had never found a planet to call home. Not that she’d consider Kyffin a candidate either. At best, it was a minimal dirt ball. Humanity could survive here—given sufficient numbers to maintain some semblance of civilization—but its very location and its lack of valuable resources guaranteed it would never be more than a bit player in the history of the galaxy. Except for the Fa’erie, of course. Was it a coincidence that the colony had been planted so near to the meadow, right on the doorstep of a mystical portal from one dimension to another? “Who founded the two colonies on Kyffin?” she asked. Blane turned to face her. He was stretched full length on his side, his chin propped on his hand. His face looked relaxed and peaceful after their long day together. “Rasab je Makab. He was a wealthy

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entrepreneur of the last century.” Ange frowned, puzzling over the mystery. “That’s not a Celtic name, yet so many of the people in the colony seem to be descended from one of the ancient Celtic races.” “He wasn’t Celtic at all. In fact, there is some question if he was entirely human.” “Oh?” Ange traced a question mark in the sand with her finger. “If aliens and humans have ever managed to reproduce together, it’s never been proven.” Blane shrugged. “I’m not saying there’s proof. Only a lot of rumors, some of which were written down in the diaries of the original colonists. They seem to have started because of his unusual appearance. He was uncommonly tall with golden skin and eyes as black as a hole in space, or so they say. There were stories of coming upon him unexpectedly at night—stories that claimed he glowed in the dark.” Blane laughed. A chill ran through Ange as she remembered the luminous beings of the meadow. “Any chance he was part Fa’erie?” Blane traced a second question mark beside hers in the sand. “Possible. It might explain why he located the colonies here. It could be he knew about the portal close to New Hope and also the one by the other colony.” His expression hardened. “If that’s true, then I carry Fa’erie blood.” Ange sat up straighter and folded her arms across her chest. She slanted her gaze at her lover. His incredible attractiveness—was it born of more than the Fa’erie dust? Was it in his blood? The afternoon sun hung low in the sky. It poured down a molten path of light from the beach to the ocean and beyond to the limitless horizon. That path seemed to stretch out into infinity. Soon the twilight would be upon them. In a few hours the moons would rise together and their silver light would create another magical path on the sea’s surface. Moonlight, the link between Kyffin and the Otherworld. How closely were the two universes connected? Had the Fa’erie intermingled with humanity? A cool wind blew off the ocean and lifted her curls. She shivered. “What makes you think you might have Fa’erie blood?” “Rasab had an affair with one of the colony women. He asked her to come with him when they evacuated the colony but she refused. She’d ended their relationship the month before and started seeing another man, one who wasn’t important enough to be on the last ship out. It was only after Rasab left that she learned she was pregnant. She was one of my maternal ancestors.” “Maybe the baby belonged to her new lover.” “No. She had a DNA test done to be sure. She wrote about the test in her diary, said that the results proved Rasab was the father.” “Was there anything unusual about the DNA?” Blane’s face took on a faraway look. “Not that I recall. Wait. In one entry, she did call the baby ‘my extraordinary child-to-be.’”

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“So it’s possible.” Ange smiled at Blane. “Maybe that’s why you were the only colonist in New Hope to find the meadow. You were born with Fa’erie blood.” Blane sat up and grabbed a branch. He stirred the ashes around a fire he had started from driftwood they’d gathered from the beach. The flames hissed and popped. He glanced at her with an amused smile. “That explains why women are always fighting over me. My innate glamour, I mean. Speaking of glamour, you possess a pretty powerful dose yourself.” She offered him a wry grin. “No Fa’erie blood in me. My mother was a down and dirty starship engineer.” “And your father?” She looked away, suddenly uneasy. She knew nothing about her father beyond his name. Her mother never wanted to talk about the man who’d fathered her. Until now, Ange had assumed she was hiding some affair she was ashamed of. In her later years, her mother had gotten a hefty dose of religion. But what if— “I never knew my father.” She stared down and twisted her hands in her lap. Blane’s eyes glowed with warmth as he scanned her face. “We are two of a kind—strange blood. Halfbreeds.” Icy fingers clutched at Ange’s heart. The memory of a dark velvet voice leapt into her mind.Halfling child . Why had the Fa’erie king used that word? Blane leaned toward her and touched her cheek with his strong fingers. “I was attracted to you the moment I saw you.” Ange suppressed a shiver of desire. She’d spent years denying her physical urges. But since arriving on Kyffin, her passion refused to be denied. Blane’s constant presence drove her inner temperature to all-time highs. This interlude on the beach might be their last opportunity to share their love. Who knew what would happen once she returned to the Otherworld? She cleared her throat and brought up the issue that had tormented her ever since she’d begun to think she and Blane might share a future together. Time to get it out in the open. “I am a starship captain. My freedom to roam the galaxy means everything to me. I won’t be tied down to a single planet. Most men can’t accept that.” Blane tucked a finger under her chin and tilted her head back until her gaze met his. “Give me a chance, Ange. I’d be glad to follow you to anywhere in the galaxy you’d care to go.” Her breath caught in her throat at the thought of his muscled body filling her small cabin. She pictured them naked and tangled together on her narrow bunk. Delicious heat spread from her center out to her fingertips. She gazed out at the beach and the lengthening shadows falling across the sand. They were running out of time. “Ange.” Murmuring her name, Blane wiggled through the sand closer to her. His hands cupped her face, tipping her mouth upward. His own mouth descended and claimed hers in a fierce kiss. She surrendered to the moment of bliss. Her mouth opened without resistance and let his tongue slide in.

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She moaned with pleasure as he swept her mouth and tangled her tongue with his in a fierce, sensual demand. As if Kyffin itself sensed her desire, the waves surged higher and rushed toward the shore with a new urgency. The tide must be coming in. She opened her eyes. Over his shoulder, she could see the tremendous curve of a wave arching above the beach before collapsing in a shower of sea foam. The afternoon sunlight danced across the sea and along his skin turning it a deep red bronze. High above in the deep azure depths of the sky, a single star appeared as if heralding the coming night. Regret clutched at her heart. No more time. She must leave him. She had to get back to the meadow tonight while there was still a chance of solving this mystery. But first…she closed her eyes again and concentrated on plundering his mouth as he had ravished hers. This time he tasted of the hot summer sun and starlight. He tasted magical. Laughing, she leaped to her feet and ran down the beach toward the sea, sand flying as she splashed into puddles left behind by the waves. The warm ocean surged over her feet as she plunged toward an incoming curve of a whitecap. Delicate sea foam clung to her naked breasts. Reflected starlight sparked in the heart of the dark waves that crashed around her, showering her with spray. The waves withdrew again in a long, sibilant hiss, pulling sand out from under her feet as they gathered and mounted into another crest. She floundered in the water and would have fallen except that Blane caught her. Their naked, wet bodies slid over each other as they splashed and laughed, fighting for footing. Breathless, Ange turned back to the shore. She stopped on the damp sand where the waves died in little rivers of foam and watched Blane emerge from the sea. His dark hair was plastered around his head and his magnificent wet body gleamed in the golden light of day’s end. The air was cold after her frolic in the waves. She sat down in the shallow water, letting its warmth soothe her. Blane dropped at her side, the long sweep of waves washing over them both. They cuddled on the wet sand, the water surging in eddies around their legs and hips, and he kissed her again with sea-salt kisses, deep and long. His hands, wet with sand, trailed gritty pathways down her sides and across her abdomen. He sucked drops of seawater off the curve of her breast and teased her nipples into aching peaks with the warm caress of his tongue. Sea spray drenched them as a heavier wave came crashing in. Silver rain poured over their bodies in a warm shower. They both gasped for air, laughing, and then Blane caught her nipple in his mouth. Water swirled between her legs and his tongue teased her taut flesh. Molten heat pooled in her loins. She wanted to lie down and open her legs in invitation, but the crashing waves threatened to drown her if she tried. Instead, she rolled up on her hands and knees, bending over to raise her buttocks into the cool air. The movement, the restless water sliding over her damp thighs and swirling around her legs, all made her tremble with desire. As she’d hoped, he did not hesitate. His hands caressed the wet, rounded flesh of her buttocks and followed the enticing curve of her flesh downward to the hot emptiness that waited between her thighs. She spread her knees wider to open herself up to him and groaned with pleasure as his fingers probed her hungry depths. Another wave splashed over them both, drenching her with warm water. Then something hotter than the sea slid between her legs and plunged deep inside. She bucked her hips up to receive him and gasped for air in a silvery cascade of water as he probed her

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depths. His hands gripped her wet buttocks, his fingers digging deep to keep his purchase on her damp skin as he thrust into her. Wild, erotic sensations filled her as the hot sea washed over her skin and his hotter length probed her. His heavy breathing mingled with the rushing water and the deep, eternal voice of the ocean. The pounding surf set the glorious tempo as they mounted together toward an ecstatic climax. Her fingers dug into the wet sand, her drenched hair falling into her eyes. Ange lost all inhibition. Heat exploded in her inner core, spiraling outward toward the infinite blue horizon. The setting sun blazed its fiery heat into her eyes as she came with intense spasms. When the powerful waves of her orgasm finally stopped, she found herself resting on her elbows, her hair falling forward into the swirling white foam. She was breathing hard. Blane gave a final groan and withdrew from her as his own climax ended. Together they staggered out of the sea and collapsed on the sand, sitting side by side, leaning against each other for support. She let him gather her into his strong arms and rested her head on his chest as he bent to kiss her. She could hear the beating of his heart against her ear. A sense of peace suffused her body. She was safe in Blane’s arms. He was her lover and she welcomed his lust. Did it matter if the glamour was a part of who he was? It was a part of who she was, too. She needed to let go of the bitter experiences of the past and open up to the possibility of love again. Perhaps she too had the glamour singing in her blood. But she had no doubt that Blane saw her as she really was—and wanted her still. His arms tightened around her. She watched the waves rushing to the shore one upon another relentless and unceasing, like the passion they shared for each other. Her nipples hardened and the peaks jutted out into the air at the thought. He smiled and kissed her and she felt his hard length stir again. His flesh was warm, driving back the chill of the wind. She pressed closer as he pulled them both down onto the sand. His passionate gaze promised a night of love. She gazed into his soul and saw beauty. The setting sun glazed their bodies with a supernatural glow as they tangled in the sand. As the first stars came out in the sky, they sat snuggled together in front of an open fire and feasted on freeze-dried meals and bottled water from the lander. “Thanks for a wonderful day!” Ange said, resting her head on Blane’s shoulder. She sighed as he stroked her hair. She wished the day could blend into the night and she could spend it in his arms. But the mystery of the meadow still called to her. She squinted at the last rays of the sunset dying on the far horizon, turning the sea to flame. “Time to be going if I’m going to get to the meadow by double moonrise.” She turned her head to plant a soft kiss on his cheek and before he could say anything, moved out of his arms and up on her feet. “Guess we’d better put out the fire.” She scanned the beach, drinking in the beauty one last time. Blane reached up for her hand. “I don’t want you to go, Ange.” She let him curl his fingers around hers, although she knew she would have to disappoint him. “We’ve been through this already. I’ve got to.” “The Otherworld.” A pleading look came into his eyes. “There must be a reason we can never

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remember it. What if Oberon takes you and you never come back?” She shivered. Blane had a point. She had no idea what purpose the Fa’erie had in appearing on Kyffin, or what their powers were. But if she let this chance go, she would spend the remainder of her days wondering. “I’ve got to,” she repeated. “You can’t. I’ve disabled the lander. It’s not taking off again until I fix it. And that won’t be tonight.” “What! When?” Even as she spoke, she remembered his visit to the bushes while she’d run ahead down to the beach. “Why, you dirty piece of Morgorian slime!” Turning from him in disgust, she began pulling on her clothes. “What did you do? Remove some part? Hide it in the sand somewhere?” Her mind whirled, seeking a solution. Soon the moons would rise. She had to make it to the meadow…had to. “Ha!” She turned and glared at him, her hands fisted at her sides. “I’ll call Jake! Bet you didn’t know an android can fly landers. He’s so fast it will sizzle your socks off. I’ll still make it to the meadow by moonrise.” Blane’s face fell. “Ange, please! It’s dangerous, I tell you.” She strode up to him with a harsh laugh. “Don’t tell me about danger. I was facing dangerous situations out in space while you were a toddler holding on to your mother’s hand. I’m going and that’s that.” “Okay.” His violet eyes darkened and filled with shadows. He stood and dusted the sand off his naked body. Her anger faded as she licked her lips and admired the view. He was gorgeous and they had a breathtaking beach to themselves. Was she crazy? Her chin came up a notch at the thought. What if she was? She’d always blazed her own path and she wasn’t going to stop because of some man. If this dirt ball human couldn’t stand the heat, he’d just have to get out of the way. Blane pulled on his clothes and headed up the sandy ridge to the top where the lander waited. “Don’t worry, I can fix it,” he called over his shoulder. “You’d better!” she ordered. “And cross your fingers that I don’t make you walk back to New Hope.”

Chapter Fifteen

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Midnight was approaching on the final night that the two moons would rise together. Ange stood under the shelter of a tall tree and watched the mountain meadow as the double crescents appeared over the jagged mountain peaks. A fresh snowfall covered the tops of those peaks and a cold wind swooped down into the valley. The chill in the air reminded her of the frigid atmosphere that had prevailed in the lander as she’d flown Blane back to New Hope. Did he think she was some gutless wonder who would shut up and sit down, grateful for his male protection? She smiled at how she’d bluffed him with the threat of calling Jake. Her basic model wasn’t programmed to fly the lander, but he need never know that. The wind rattled the leaves of the trees and sighed down the valley with a hollow moan. Her smile faded at the loneliness in that sound. Maybe she’d succeeded in tricking Blane and maybe his attempt to strand her had been ill-conceived, but she missed his stalwart presence at her side. She remembered the pain in his eyes as he turned and walked away after she landed. A lump formed in her throat. She had wanted to go after him. She tried to believe the void in her heart was only the scent, working its evil magic, but she knew it was much more than that. She lifted her hand and rubbed her head. Men were trouble, she’d always known that. Somehow this particular one was robbing her of her hard-won self-sufficiency. She turned her attention back to the meadow, half fearful, half excited. Try as she might, she could recall nothing of her first journey into the Otherworld. She prayed it would be different this time. She would resist whatever spell the Fa’erie king cast. She would confront him and demand answers to the questions that continued to haunt her. She stiffened as the first bell chimed. It was beginning. Despite the turmoil of the night before, the Fa’erie had chosen to return. Or were they involved in some mysterious process that gave them no choice? A third, more ominous, possibility occurred to her. Did they know she was there? Were they coming for her? A second sweet note rang across the long grass. Out of nowhere, low sweet notes began to sound on the chilly air. In the meadow a golden light appeared as a third bell chimed. Quickly, it coalesced into a brilliant ball as bright as a noonday sun, as it had the night before. Ange raised her hand to shield her eyes as she waited for the Fa’erie king and queen to step out of their hidden realm. Behind her in the shadows under the trees a twig snapped. She turned to stare down the hillside. The darkness and the thick undergrowth hid the approach to where she crouched. She strained her eyes, but nothing moved. Maybe it was an animal on the prowl. She was dangerously ignorant about the local species. Her hand patted the gun underneath her jacket. There were times when being a spacer was a decided disadvantage. Her ears strained for any further sound but the night grew quiet again. With a sigh, she returned her concentration to the meadow. The Fa’erie queen and her retinue had emerged from the golden light while she’d looked away. They moved out into the meadow in a graceful spiral, creating pulsing rainbows of iridescent brilliance, as they found their positions for the beginning of the dance. The radiance intensified and Oberon stepped out, followed by his men. Ange drew in a long breath of wonder. His body was even more magnificent than she remembered, a gleaming paean to all that was male. Her gaze drank in his muscled arms and long, strong legs, his broad chest and slim hips. His nudity

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in no way detracted from the sense of royal command that surrounded him. He lifted his proud head as his dark eyes probed the trees at the edge of the meadow. With a shiver, she realized he was searching for her. After all, she’d been here the previous night. She should have known he would look for her tonight. Their eyes met, the king’s as dark as a midnight sky, sprinkled with silver starlight, hers wide with wonder. Ignoring his waiting queen, he started walking across the meadow toward Ange and the golden light flowed around him like a river. As he came near, his dark eyes shifted to her right and widened. A look of anger passed over his regal features. Stopping, he focused on a place just over Ange’s shoulder. A voice spoke behind her, cold with rage. “A bit of a crowd here tonight, wouldn’t you say?” Ange whirled around and stared into Ryol’s icy gaze. The moonlight glinted on the cold steel of the laser pistol in his hand. Ryol sneered at her and aimed the pistol at her chest, his face taut with bitterness. “I’ll not abide betrayal, captain. We had a deal. I pay for transport to Kyffin and you leave my activities alone. What are you doing here?” Ange forced out a laugh despite the pistol pointed at her chest. “Why, I thought I’d visit your beautiful mountains while I was on your world. I have as much right to wander around as anyone.” Ryol sneered, his mouth twisting. “Do you think I’m naïve enough to believe you found this place by accident? I’ve seen the looks you give Blane. The two of you are working together to keep me from gathering the dust I need.” Ange made a face. She didn’t need to fake the disgust in her voice. “Blane? Forget working with him, the conceited prick! If you want to pick up some more dust, I’m not going to stop you, although they might.” She moved to Ryol’s side as if joining ranks with him and tilted her head toward the meadow where Oberon stood with his arms folded across his mighty chest, eyeing the two humans with proud disdain. “I’ve stolen nothing of value to them, only the dust left behind by their visits.” Ryol lowered his gun and glared at the Fa’erie. “They’ll never miss it. Hell, they probably never even realized they left it behind until last night when Blane started a fight between us and made a hash of all my plans.” “Let’s ask them if they’ll never miss it.” Moving with lightening speed, Ange grabbed Ryol’s shoulder and pushed. With a shout of dismay, Ryol stumbled away from the shadow of the tree and out into the golden light of the meadow. The king of the Fa’erie glared at the merchant, his face darkening with displeasure. His dark gaze grew hard as he saw the gun in Ryol’s hand. “Sha’Bat!” The alien word rumbled through the meadow like thunder. Light blazed up around Ryol, engulfing him. He screamed and vanished. Oberon turned his attention to her. She took a step back, suddenly afraid, but the anger was gone from the Fa’erie’s face. Once again, he radiated waves of arousing sensuality. His face glowed with desire as his dark eyes scanned her body. Their pupils widened and engulfed her like a black hole.

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Dizziness swept over her. She blinked in dismay as a strange sense of languor engulfed her body, starting with the soles of her feet, spreading up her calves and thighs, to flow through her middle. Her muscles began to slacken, her fear fading away. Fight! she screamed to her own mind. Fight! The languor filled her chest and throat. Her betraying body relaxed, all resistance flowing out of her. Oberon took her hand and pulled her after him into the shining brilliance of the meadow. Light flared and a rain of colors pulsed around her. Everything spun. For a second she fell through nothingness. Then the world solidified again. She stood on the edge of a lush green field surrounded by a forest. Beyond the trees, tall mountain peaks pierced the sky. Her mouth gaped open in amazement. In many ways it looked like the meadow she’d just left, but the twisting sensation in her stomach told her it was a universe or more away from the field on Kyffin. And there were subtle differences. The grass grew tall and emerald green under a sky of silvery blue. She saw no sun, yet the whole circle of the horizon pulsed with a golden glow. A tree laden with fragrant scarlet-red blossoms stood a few steps away. Silky soft petals drifted on the shifting breeze and littered the ground. A round bed covered with silken sheets and piled high with pillows lay beneath the sheltering arms of the tree. Invisible musicians began to play a soft, haunting melody. Her eyelids grew heavy as the peaceful music flowed over her. She wanted nothing more than to lie down on the soft bed and sleep. Oberon dropped her hand and stepped backward in the misty light that still glowed behind him.Light to you, halfling child . The thought brushed her mind as he vanished. She turned at a flutter of movement deep in the shadows beneath the trees. A young man stepped out of the shade, his tall, slender form moving with a fluid grace that took her breath away. Glossy silver hair hung down to his waist, its sleek mass shimmering against his olive green skin. Slanted eyes as black as a night bird’s wing probed her from beneath curved brows. Iridescent wings of light shimmered around his body as he moved toward her. Apart from the gossamer covering his wings provided, he was nude. Shadows played over his bare chest, outlining the hard muscles. Wings or not, there was nothing effeminate about this being. She swallowed and her eyes widened as her gaze followed the lines of his body to his narrow waist and slim hips. Whatever this creature’s origins, his sex was clear. His phallus jutted out, swaying slightly with each step he took. As he approached, he held out his hand to Ange. An angelic smile curved his lips. The music that filled the air changed, became more complex, another melody weaving into the first. The sound deepened and took on a darker note as the Fa’erie drew closer. A breeze blew through the leaves of the forest, stirring the air. Ange caught a sweet, intoxicating scent in the wind, a scent that filled her lungs and entered her blood, heating it. Scent of Magic. Whatever potent chemical gave the perfume its power to stimulate the erotic impulse, it permeated the air of this realm, suffusing her body with every breath she took, saturating every cell of her being, clouding her mind with strange, arousing fantasies. That bed, covered with silky petals…so many voluptuous things could happen there, and when she awoke again in the real world, it would all be a dream, forgotten… An alarm went off deep inside her, but as much as her mind struggled to respond, her limbs felt

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cumbersome; her eyelids drooped with the heavy weight of her lashes and her very thoughts slowed their pace to a laborious crawl. The male Fa’erie reached her side and touched her cheeks with his long fingers, gently blowing his scented breath over her face. She sighed and tried to speak, to ask the questions that had brought her back to the meadow, questions now fading into the drowsy mists of pleasure-filled reverie. Only slurred words such as a drunk might speak emerged from her lips. “Rabuth.” The male jerked his thumb at his chest as he spoke, indicating the word was his name. “Light to you, beloved.” Smiling, he touched her elbow. His alluring scent swirled around her, mingling with the sweet smell of the falling pedals and the lush, rich aroma of the grass. The whole experience began to feel like some wonderful dream. Her resistance melted away. She stumbled along after Rabuth without protest as he pulled her toward the bed beneath the trees. Her legs and arms hung like heavy weights from her body and she sighed with soft pleasure each time she inhaled the sweet scent that filled the air. Together, they reached the bed. The golden light around them grew stronger, enfolding them like a cocoon. At her side, the male Fa’erie began to sing, his voice rich and haunting, his words weaving in with the melody all around them. Bright is the hour Of love’s wildest joy. Passion holds no sweeter Surrender than this, Joined in the bliss Of erotic union As he sang, his words echoed in her brain, dancing at the edge of her understanding. His song was a summons to love. An eager look appeared on his face, a look of intense desire meant for someone other than her. On the other side of the bed, a woman emerged from the golden light, her body covered only by the flame-colored hair that cascaded to her waist. She looked like an angel, all white flesh and golden light, her silky hair falling over her bare shoulders, her slender body and small, high breasts delicate as fragile glass. Rabuth’s dark eyes grew luminous with passion and desire as he sang to her. Such a lovely song…Ange swayed on her feet, her body moving to the rise and fall of the music, while her soul floated on a tide of sensual ease. Somewhere far away hands plucked at her clothing, undoing the fastenings, but she was barely aware of her surroundings. Her body hummed with a gentle arousal, a pleasant heat that flushed her skin and stirred her loins to aching life. A breeze brushed against her naked breasts and she became aware that her clothing had vanished. Her breasts looked swollen and flushed and her nipples thrust out in tight peaks. Desire burned in her deep core but it was a banked fire, fierce and steady. She wanted nothing more than to lay down on the bed and let the Fa’erie do as he willed to her while the endless hot waves of pleasure washed over her. With a soft sigh, she sank down amid the silken sheets and delicate scarlet pedals. Above her, through the green canopy over her head, the sky danced with ever-changing light. Her arm brushed against warm flesh and she realized that the Fa’erie woman had laid down on the bed at her side.

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“Remereador.” The woman spoke her name with a gentle smile. The pillows molded themselves to Ange’s form. She floated on a bed of air, floated on clouds of light, surrounded by heavenly music. Gentle hands separated her thighs and a slender form knelt between them. Unthinking, she offered no resistance as Rabuth placed his hands on her knees and forced her thighs further apart, exposing her intimate flesh to his dark-eyed gaze. A new scent rose in the saturated air, the scent of her arousal. The Fa’erie male bent forward, the silken mass of his long silver hair gliding over her skin as his warm breath stirred the curls at the apex of her dew-drenched thighs. She shivered at the touch of his tongue and arched her back as he explored her moist entrance, circling her clitoris and then probing the slit that led deep into her body.No! some distant part of her screamed. She didn’t want this male touching her, didn’t want any male touching her except Blane. She gritted her teeth against the dreamy languor that sapped her strength and forced her buttocks up in the air in an attempt to escape the bold invasion of his tongue, but the movement was too weak to have any effect. He held her thighs apart with his hands and concentrated on her clit, sucking the nub as it stiffened with desire. Waves of powerful sensation pulsed through her. The sensual flood brought her part way out of her erotic trance. She turned her head and saw Remereador at her side, her wide sapphire eyes shining with hope as she watched her man feast between Ange’s legs. “No!” From somewhere, Ange found the strength to sit up. She gripped Rabuth’s head with both hands and pushed him away. He fell back, his hands letting go of her thighs. She clapped them together, rolled off the bed and staggered to her feet. “Leave me alone!” she yelled, staring wildly around for some path of escape. “Halfling woman!” The words crashed around her, full of power.“Why do you fight us?” Rabuth half rose from the bed, his dark eyes fixed on her. Beyond him, Remereador watched too, her hand lifted to her mouth, despair replacing the hope on her fragile face. “Because,” Ange panted, backing away, “I am not a thing to be used by you. You have no right—” The dark eyes that gazed at her filled with an infinite sorrow. “Would you deny us our chance for children, the gift that you alone can give?” She stopped, poised for flight, and stared at him. “I-I don’t understand.” Remereador rose from the bed, her flame-colored hair falling around her like a graceful curtain. Ange saw that she’d been aroused by Rabuth’s love play. Her nipples stood erect and moisture glittered in the patch of crimson hair between her legs. She made no attempt to hide her body, but stood looking at Ange while great crystal tears gathered in her sapphire eyes. “It is simple enough.” The womanmoved toward her, her long limbs graceful. “We who your kind call the Fa’erie are an old race and a barren one. We cannot conceive without the help of humans.” “What are you saying? That you were going to rape me?” Ange looked at the male in horror. “No!” Rabuth shook his head in fierce denial. “Do not fear. We intend only to share pleasure. We Fa’erie have long known the passion that our scent awakens in your race. In return, your arousal

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produces hormones that saturate the air and stimulate us. It’s only then that my mate and I can hope to conceive.” With a graceful gesture, the male turned and held out his hand to his woman. She slipped her small white hand into his and forced a smile to her lips, but her glowing eyes never left Ange’s face, as if all her hopes for happiness hung on the human woman. “I don’t understand.” Ange struggled against the fear that urged her to bolt into the forest and find a hiding place. Running held no answers. She was in some alien dimension, dependent on these creatures to show her the way home. The shadow of an ancient sorrow touched the male’s face. “For you to understand, I must tell you something about the history of our people. Please, do not fear us. Come close.” Ange hesitated, balanced on the balls of her feet. The male and female watched her, their bodies straining forward as if to summon her closer, their diaphanous wings sweeping the air. The music around them dimmed to a low hum, then faded altogether as a bright light flashed and a thunderclap roared through the clear sky. Ange whirled around in alarm. In the meadow, Blane staggered out of the light, followed by Oberon and his queen.

Chapter Sixteen

“Blane!” Blane stared wildly around at the sound of Ange’s voice shouting his name. There she was, on the edge of the meadow. An icy river of fear drenched him at the sight of her naked body and the bed spread beneath the trees. Terrible memories had come back to him as he’d raced up the mountain side to reach the meadow and demand that the Fa’erie king transport him to the Otherworld. “Ange!” He shouted her name and broke into a run. She hugged her breasts, trying to hide her nudity. Her face looked hurt and vulnerable. He closed the last few meters between them, threw open his arms and swept her up in his embrace. Her body shuddered with silent sobs as he gathered her close.

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“Are you all right?” he demanded. “You came.” She lifted her head and looked up at him. Joy glowed on her face despite the tears that sparkled in the green depths of her eyes. “I couldn’t let you face this—whatever it is—alone.” “It is nothing terrible, whatever you may think.” Oberon strode up to them, his nude body majestic in the golden light. He turned to Ange, an amused smile flickering over his lips as he drank in the sight of her nudity. “I welcome you to the Otherworld. It is not often that we entertain your kind in our realm.” Blane pressed Ange to his side and glared at Oberon. This Fa’erie was a prominent figure in so many of the memories that had come rushing back. How long had he served Oberon under his sensual spell? Blane held tight to his anger, knowing he would need all his strength to demand an answer from the king. The Fa’erie’s gaze swept over him with a haughty distain. He turned his attention to Ange. “Your mate does not wish to share you.” “He’s not my mate,” Ange began. She stopped and glanced up at Blane. He squeezed her closer and looked deep into her eyes. “I’m here,” he whispered, his words a gentle promise that he would never leave her. She smiled up at him and then faced Oberon again. “We’re lovers,” she added, lifting her chin. “Lovers, not mates?” The Fa’erie raised his eyebrows and looked puzzled. “The ways of your people are strange to us.” Blane straightened his shoulders, determined to show no fear. “Your ways are also unknown to us, but they seem to include kidnapping.” Oberon’s puzzled look deepened. He ignored Blane and addressed Ange. “You were in the meadow the last time we danced. You came into the light. The scent drew you and I smelled your heritage on your flesh. Was it wrong to welcome you to our realm where you have a place by right of blood?” “I’m afraid I don’t remember that visit. If you explained all this to me then, I have forgotten your words.” A proud smile played over the king’s lips. “Yes, I took the memories from your mind when I sent you back. I regret the necessity. But we find our greatest safety lies in staying hidden. Once we walked openly among your kind, but for centuries now we have kept our activities secret. Your race has come to believe we are nothing more than a myth from ancient times. Whenever there must be contact between our species, we erase all memory of it.” “You use us and erase the evidence of your crime you mean,” Blane accused. Anger flared in Oberon’s dark eyes. “There is no evil in a species fighting for its survival. We give those who come here great pleasure, and we watch over New Hope.” Blane hesitated. It was probably unwise—maybe even dangerous—to question the Fa’erie king in the heart of his realm, but the dark memories crowding through his mind demanded answers. He’d come to

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this meadow before, laid on that very bed, and forgotten it all. He shivered at the memory of gossamer wings brushing over his naked flesh and faced the king. “No evil you say? It is evil to seduce someone against their will and then erase the memory of that seduction.” The king shook his head. “Not if it is necessary to save a life—the life of a people. We are the ones who maintain the balance between our worlds, a balance your kind destroys with your insatiable violence. You humans continually create vibrations of discord that threaten to pull the worlds apart.” “Blane.” Ange tugged at his sleeve and hugged her body. Seeing the unspoken plea in her eyes, he stripped off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. His lips pressed together into an angry line. He faced Oberon with fresh rage. “I know what you intended to do with this woman. I’m not going to let you. I’m not going to forget and I’m not going to let you exploit my people anymore.” Rabuth stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. His gossamer wings fluttered with agitation. “Lord, let me banish the human for daring to speak so to you.” Oberon lifted a hand. “Peace, Rabuth. Perhaps we have forgotten too much of human ways in the centuries we have spent apart.” He turned to Blane. “No harm was going to befall this woman tonight. All we intended was a sharing of mutual pleasure. We have shared this pleasure with many from the other human colony on Kyffin over the years, each of them drawn to the dance by their own deep desires. But they were human, not immortal like we are. Most of them have passed on now, and the few who abide yet within our realm are too old to help in the mating. We need young blood.” Blane and Ange exchanged a look. He tightened his arm around her waist and asked the question on both their minds. “Why did you call me years ago? Why is Ange drawn to your realm, too?” A gentle smile shaped the Fa’erie’s lips. “Your heart knows the answer to that already, although your mind resists it. Both of you carry our blood in your veins, and that blood draws you to our realm.” Ange clutched Blane’s jacket around her and shivered. “How can that be?” “Long ago, our races were one. Two paths opened before us. Your kind chose one path and the Fa’erie took another. Yet our blood remains close enough that we can mate and produce a child—a fact that has proven crucial to our continued survival.” A brooding look settled on Oberon’s face. “Most humans forget us if they ever see us, but that other one—your brother Ryol—remembered because he had the dust always with him.” With a start, Blane recalled Ryol. “Did he come here tonight? What have you done with him?” “Nothing.” Oberon lifted his shoulders in a graceful shrug. “I do not harm humans. But his theft of the dust must be stopped. Our magic is a potent thing, capable of great good or ill. Do you wish to see that he is unharmed?” The Fa’erie’s hands moved, dipping and rising like birds. The air to his right began to shimmer with light. A humming noise mounted swiftly up the scale of sound then fell again as the light flared. Blane blinked away a momentary blindness. Ryol stood in the midst of the fading light, looking around in confusion. His sharp-eyed gaze swept over the gathered Fa’erie and humans. He jerked up his arm and then stared in amazement at his empty hand.

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“Your weapon is vanished,” Oberon said. “No harm is allowed to befall any in this realm. We of the Fa’erie have brought you here to learn what you do with the dust you steal from the meadow after our dances.” Ryol lifted his head, the proud arrogance his wealth had brought him showing in every line of his face. “I had no idea the dust had worth to you. It is only dust, a few grains left behind in the meadow after you dance.” Oberon reached out to clasp his queen’s hand in his. “In our royal mating dance, we bend the energy of your world to achieve our purposes. The vibrations our energy gives off have a transforming power. It never occurred to us that our power of transformation would affect the dust falling through the air as we danced. There is always dust, everywhere. But now we perceive it does, and the dust contains some of our magic—magic that must not be allowed to leave Kyffin.” Ryol shifted his glance from the face of one Fa’erie to another. They stood nude but implacable, waiting for his response. “Welcome to a situation you can’t buy your way out of, brother,” Blane taunted. The merchant thrust out his chin. “I make no apologies. I didn’t know you made any claim to the dust. I took a handful, it is true, and made it into a perfume—a tiny batch bought by a few people on various worlds.” “A powerful perfume,” Blane interrupted. “An aphrodisiac so strong that the one who wears it can enslave the hearts of others.” Oberon’s face darkened. He turned and scowled at Ryol. “I see. Such interference in the affairs of humanity cannot be allowed.” Ryol glowered at the Fa’erie. “What business is it of yours? You have your realm and we have ours. If you leave your dust behind, we will use it.” Oberon stalked toward the merchant. He was a head taller than Ryol and the waves of light that surrounded him as he moved pulsed like giant wings. Ange had a momentary fear that he was going to snatch the merchant up and fly off to the mountain peaks to drop him. Instead, the king stopped and sniffed the air in front of Ryol. He fixed him with a scornful look. “You are a disgrace to your humanity. You would bind other free souls with magic for mere money.” “My perfume spreads love in the Federation,” Ryol blustered. Blane tightened his arm around Ange. His brother’s discomfort was amusing after his previous arrogance. “Come on, Ryol. Even you don’t believe that.” “Your use of our magic to influence others must stop,” the king added in a stern voice. Ange stepped forward, demanding Oberon’s attention. “Wait a moment. What about me? I’m cursed with this glamour stuff, too, and it’s nothing I ever wanted. Can you take it away from me?” The king inclined his head toward her. “Don’t you perceive the truth yet, halfling child? You carry our blood, too.”

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“Me?” She swallowed hard. Until she’d landed on Kyffin, she’d had no doubt about her identity. Ange Bennett, loner, doomed to a life shared with an android, with only the Hawk’s Flight to love. Blane’s strong hands gripped her shoulders, offering her his support. “We’re both halflings. We’ll get through this together.” The Fa’erie king looked surprised by her shock. His dark eyes gazed into hers with deep compassion. “The Fa’erie blood is strong. Its power drew human lovers to you and repelled them at the same time. Your race craves magic, yet clings to its primitive loathing of all that is different.” “Tell me about it.” Ange bit her lip in frustration. Oberon was right. His words summed up a lifetime of heartbreak. “It is best if you mate with another who also carries our blood,” the Fa’erie added gently. “Just a minute.” Ryol waved a hand at his brother and Ange. “How did these two get Fa’erie blood anyway?” The queen spoke for the first time, her voice sweet with unheard melodies. “Both our races are old beyond remembering. Once we were one and lived in this realm in peace together. Then came a day when our ways parted. Some of our kind wished to descend through the dimensions to a lower realm where the physical experience would be stronger. They left their magical powers behind and embraced a new way of life. They settled a small world you call Earth.” Ange forced a laugh. “Yes, Earth. I’ve heard of it.” “Yet our ancient shared heritage remains.” The queen gestured to Rabuth and his mate. Her slender hands hovered in the air like birds, imploring mercy. “We Fa’erie who dwell in a realm of higher energy live long lives, thousands of your years. We do not need to constantly replenish our numbers with children as you do. Yet sometimes we, too, long for a child. The higher vibrational level of this realm grants us long lives but it also makes it difficult for us to reproduce. Over the eons, the problem has only grown worse. Alas—” She looked around her, eyes brimming with sorrow. “We can no longer conceive children without help from your kind.” “You’re using us.” Blane accused. He wrapped a protective arm around Ange’s waist. She shivered and pressed closer to his warm body, welcoming the shelter he offered. The Fa’erie’s revelations frightened her, raising a host of questions she dared not face. “Perhaps.” Oberon looked from one to the other, begging for understanding. “We used the colonists who had our blood, summoning them to our portal, engaging them in our dance of love. But who have we harmed?” “You could ask for help instead of enchanting people into your realm!” Ange snapped. “And expose ourselves to your people. We did that once, long ago. Your kind used us then, exploited our magic. If we did it again—now that you have the technology to control us—we would risk our freedom.” “So you need to keep your existence secret.” Ryol cast a sly look at the Fa’erie. “Maybe I could help you.”

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“Don’t listen to him,” Blane said. “All he cares about is finding a profit in your problem.” “I still don’t understand.” Ange looked at Rabuth and Remereador. The blood rose in her cheeks but she had to ask. “Were you going to impregnate me with your child?” Rabuth lifted his head, a proud look in his eyes. “I sought only to arouse you to orgasm. In the throes of that ultimate bliss, your species releases a powerful hormone, a hormone that activates our sluggish reproductive systems and helps us to conceive. That is why my mate, Remereador, lay beside you as I stimulated you with my tongue.” Ange blushed at the memory. Blane frowned. “And was I used in the same way when I came into your realm years ago?” Oberon nodded. “Yes.” His eyes flashed. “Coming here cursed me. I was left with the smell of your dust, a smell that makes me irresistibly attractive to others. I’ve had to flee from love, never knowing if it was real.” The king gazed at him with compassion. “Your glamour does not come from the dust but from your Fa’erie blood. That blood awakened as you approached puberty and led you to this meadow, but the glamour would have struck you wherever you lived.” “That’s what happened to me, then.” Ange swallowed a mixture of anger and relief. Anger for all she had suffered, relief that the piece of the puzzle that had been missing all of her life had finally clicked into place. “The Fa’erie must sometimes breed with humans if halflings exist,” Ryol said. “We can take human shape and intermingle with your kind, although we cannot remain in your realm for long periods of time. The vibrations are too low for us to endure. Some of our men have succumbed to the temptation to experience the sensations of love in your physical dimension.” “My mother—” Ange’s voice faltered. Oberon gave her a gentle look. “Your mother knew one of our people. They shared a brief love, and you are the happy result. It is no coincidence that you have found your way to Kyffin and this meadow. The magic of your heritage drew you here.” “I see nothing magical about a heritage that feeds off innocents to survive.” Blane raked a hand through his hair, his eyes smoldering. The king’s gaze turned impassive. “Be still! The cosmos might have wiped your kind out long ago were it not for our protection.” “Like the wipe out you’re headed for if you can’t reproduce?” Ryol laughed. “Sounds like we need each other. If you want human hormones, I can supply them. Supply and demand is my business.” Wrath darkened Oberon’s eyes as he turned to Ryol. “You press me too far, human. Even our powers have limits. Higher beings than us will be aroused to wrath if they learn we are buying humans from you

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like some leftover goods. Nor will they be happy to learn what you are doing with the dust you took from this meadow. Your use of our Fa’erie dust will stop.” Ryol jutted out his chin in defiance although fear flickered in his eyes. “How do you plan to stop me? Hold me imprisoned in this Otherworld forever?” “It’s simpler than that,” the king murmured and waved his hand over Ryol’s head. A shower of golden light descended from his palm to shimmer on Ryol’s skin and hair before sinking into his flesh. The merchant’s face twisted in rage, then went blank. He blinked and looked around, his expression that of a lost child. “Time for you to return to your world,” Oberon whispered and waved his hand again. Ryol vanished.

Chapter Seventeen

The king turned to Ange and Blane. “He will wake with no memory of us or this meadow, or of his magic dust.” “He’ll wonder why he came to Kyffin,” Blane pointed out. Oberon smiled. “Why, to rescue the colonists, of course. He is a good man, a generous man. He’s worked hard to earn a fortune so he could afford to come back here and save the colonists.” The king’s dark gaze turned to Ange. “Can you make room on your ship for so many?” She nodded. “It will be close quarters, but we can do it.” Blane still looked doubtful. “What about Ryol’s perfume? What will others think when it loses its potency?” “When your brother arrives home, he will decide to get out of the perfume business. Those who used Scent of Magic and want it kept secret will let him do as he wishes.” “You seem to have a great deal of power to influence events in our world,” Ange said, not sure she liked

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the revelations this night had brought. The king inclined his head, his expression grave. “We do. But since our races mingle, perhaps you will forgive us if we look upon the humans of this universe as our children and guide you as we think best.” Rabuth stepped forward. “I ask your forgiveness, halfling child. Among our people, sex is a joy to be shared. I did not realize you are vowed only to your mate.” Blane laid a possessive hand on Ange’s shoulder. “I trust you realize it now,” he growled. Rabuth lowered his head. Beyond him, Remereador stood quiet, her sapphire eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “Wait.” Ange’s heart filled with sympathy for the faerie woman. “You want a child?” Remereador blinked and one silver tear slid down her cheek. “More than life itself.” “And you can’t conceive without the stimulus of my hormones?” “No. It is as the queen described.” Ange slid a glance at Blane, a question in her eyes. “This orgasm that releases the hormones—does it have to be Rabuth who brings me to climax?” Hope sprang alive on Remereador’s face. “No. As long as you have an orgasm and I am near enough to inhale the scent you release, that is enough.” Ange tilted her head at Blane, her eyes aglow with sudden mischief. “What do you think? I’m game if you are.” He looked nonplussed. For a moment, she thought he would refuse. Then he bent over her and took a deep breath. “Hmmm. Sex with an audience. You’re a kinky lady.” “You have a kind heart,” the queen said. Oberon beamed at her. “You will be remembered among our people for this deed.” He held out his hand to his queen. “Now we must go and leave you to your privacy.” “But what of Kyffin?” Ange demanded, realizing how much more needed to be discussed. “What will you do after the colonists leave?” Oberon smiled. “You are not the only one of the halfling blood. And Kyffin does not hold the only meadow. Do not worry. Our people will survive. And now, farewell.” As he raised one hand, the nimbus of light around him and the queen grew brighter. Ange blinked and they were gone. “Come and share our pleasure.” Rabuth gestured toward the bed that waited in the shadow of the trees. “Come on, stud.” Ange repressed a smile as she pulled on Blane’s elbow. The erotic flame kindled earlier by Rabuth smoldered inside her still, but Blane was the man she wanted in her bed, inside her

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body. She aimed a teasing smile at him and ran ahead, up to the edge of the bed. Stopping there, she turned around and let his jacket slide off her shoulders and fall to the ground. The dappled light played over her nude body. Blane’s eyes widened as he caught up to her. His gaze swept from her laughing face to her high, proud breasts with their rosy tips and on down to the golden curls that marked the entrance to her feminine delights. Silent as wraiths, Rabuth and Remereador withdrew to the other side of the bed. Their hands grasped together and their wings enfolded each other in a silvery cocoon of light. Blane’s gaze fastened on Ange. “I see you’re ready,” he said with a grin. Even as he spoke, he began undressing. Heat burned Ange’s cheeks as she watched. Goddess, his body drove her temperature at least twenty degrees higher on any scale. She eyed his muscular chest as he stripped off his tunic and smacked her lips at the thought of that magnificent physique looming above her, taking her. She turned her head toward the bed and saw the Fa’erie lying at the far side, watching. “I’m not sure I can do this,” she said to Blane in a surprised whisper. His gaze strayed across the bed as he nodded his understanding. He discarded the last of his clothes, pulled her into his arms. His warm breath stirred her hair as he planted a tender kiss on her forehead. “A moment ago you were eager.” She let her head fall against his shoulder, glad of his strength, and giggled into the mat of hair on his chest. Her fingertips traced the hard curve of his pecs. “A moment ago I was thinking how much I wanted you inside me. It’s the audience that gives me pause.” She glanced up into his violet eyes and saw them darken with desire. The naked need in his gaze sent a lightning bolt of heat streaking straight to her core. “I can make you forget the audience,” he whispered hoarsely. “I’m sure you can.” Tangling her fingers into his thick mat, she pressed her ear to his chest and listened for the steady beat of his heart. His masculine scent filled her nostrils, stronger than all the scents of this marvelous realm. Her loins already ached with desire, but as she listened to his heartbeat, she became aware of another ache, one not located anywhere in her physical body. She wanted this man, wanted him for more than the pleasure he would give her on this bed. She wanted him at her side through all the years that had once loomed ahead of her filled with loneliness. Was such a thing even possible? Did he feel anything for her beyond the relentless attraction of their Fa’erie blood? His hands fondled her hair and the tenderness of his touch gave her hope. Surely if this trip to Kyffin had taught her anything, it was that incredible things were possible. She lifted her face up to him and he bent and kissed her—his lips moving over hers in a leisurely caress. Their lips tasted each other, his firm mouth commanding hers, their tongues meeting and twisting together in eager exploration. His arms slid around her waist and he sank down on the bed, pulling her after him. Their bodies tangled together there as they rolled across the soft surface. Somehow Ange found herself on the bottom, Blane above her, his eyes narrowed with desire as he stared down at her. The heat of his

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body burned against her flesh, setting her own desires aflame. “You came after me,” she whispered in wonder as she traced a finger down his jaw line. “I couldn’t let you come here alone not knowing what might happen to you. All these years I’ve let my loss of memory be, never demanded to know the truth. I even got angry when you said you were determined to know. Maybe I was ashamed of my own cowardice.” “Nonsense.” She pressed a finger to his lips. “You are no coward. You arrived in the nick of time like a knight in shining armor out of a legend.” “The nick of time, hey?” He brushed the curls off her forehead. “What was about to happen? Or maybe I don’t want to know. All I do know is that I couldn’t bear the thought of not being with you to face whatever the truth was. So here I am.” He kissed her forehead again, kissed her nose and the corners of her mouth as it turned up in a happy smile. Then he lowered his lips to the vulnerable flesh of her neck where her pulse beat hard at his touch. Sighing with pleasure, he kissed the column of her neck, the curve of her shoulder and the swelling rise of her breasts, his lips leaving a damp line across the curve of satiny flesh to where her nipple rose up, stiff and ready for his touch. She shivered as his lips brushed across her tingling skin. He circled her breasts with a wreath of kisses and just when she thought she would explode with aching need, he took her aroused nipple in his mouth. Ange moaned with pleasure as her nerves lit up with fire. She arched her back, wanting more, as he suckled her with expert attention. Smiling, he moved from one breast to the other while his hand caressed her flat stomach and stroked lower to the tumbled curls between her legs. His fingers slid between, gently prying her thighs apart, probing the slick, wet flesh that throbbed with longing for his touch. “I want you, Ange,” he whispered in her ear. He ran his tongue inside the delicate shell, making her shudder as sensation rippled through her body. His warm breath tickled her neck. “I want you now and I want you tomorrow. I want you for all the tomorrows of the rest of our lives.” Her eyes widened as she drank in the sincere light of his gaze. “Are you sure? We hardly know each other.” He quieted her protests with a long kiss. When their lips broke apart at last, he smiled. “That’s what all the tomorrows are for.” “Blane.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, the watching Fa’erie all but forgotten. All she could see, all she could think of, was the love shining in his eyes. “My love.” He moved over her and parted her legs. She opened with eager joy and welcomed the touch of his hard shaft as it probed into her private flesh. He reached down to guide himself inside her and she lifted her hips and wrapped her legs around him to welcome him deeper. His arms encircled her, holding her tight. As he began to move, each long, slow thrust ignited a fire that swirled through her. She groaned as the ripples of endless pleasure coursing through her only awakened a desire for more. He filled all her empty spaces and she wanted him deep within her, wanted to feel him penetrate her very core. She tightened her legs around his body as he drove himself harder inside her, no sound now but that of their bodies moving together in an ever-increasing rhythm. He kissed her mouth, her throat, her breasts, and she dug her nails into his back, urging him on.

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Pleasure pounded through her body as the waves had pounded on their private beach. A whirlpool of desire engulfed her, dragging her down. The mounting pressure in her loins peaked and exploded like a gigantic supernova, sending her into convulsions of pure rapture. Her whole body shuddered with its release, her erect nipples stabbing into Blane’s chest. Then his body stiffened against hers and she felt his throbbing release as he spilled his seed inside her. He collapsed on her with a sigh of contentment, kissed her mouth long and hard and rolled off. She snuggled into his arms, her body satiated, but her mind whirling with the promises he’d made. Did they indeed have a future together? “May I?” The sweet voice above her startled Ange out of fantasies of a life shared with Blane. Laughing, she opened her eyes. She’d forgotten about the Fa’erie. “Certainly,” she said. “What do you need us to do?” Remereador fell to her knees beside Ange on the bed. “Spread your legs.” Squirming with embarrassment, Ange opened her legs as the two Fa’erie leaned over her, breathing deep. She could feel the dampness on her thighs where the juices of her body mingled with Blane’s semen. “Ah!” Remereador sighed, her eyes half closed in bliss. Her creamy cheeks colored with spots of crimson blood and her sapphire eyes turned black as her pupils opened wide, leaving only a rim of iris. “Is it enough?” Ange asked, but she already knew the answer. Blane’s arms tightened around her as the mounting passion of Rabuth and Remereador washed over them, drenching them in another surge of desire. “It is enough.” Remereador touched Ange’s hand, her eyes warm with thanks. “We have kept you in our realm too long already. It is time for you to return. And we have need of this bed.” “Hold it!” Blane scrambled to his feet and pulled Ange up after him. “I can appreciate that you two are in a hurry to start your family, but we’d like to leave with our clothes on, if you don’t mind.” The bright sound of Fa’erie laughter rang across the meadow. Blane and Ange gathered up their garments and started dressing. Remereador lay back on the bed, her wings a cloud of light behind her. Ange slipped on her jacket and turned to the Fa’erie. There were a hundred questions she had yet to ask, but Rabuth stopped her with a commanding gesture of grace and power. Light flared, blinding her, and she felt the universe twist inside out. She reached out for Blane’s hand. His warm fingers closed around hers as they tumbled to the ground. She stood up and brushed at her pants. Overhead, twin moons were setting. A pale red dawn edged the mountain peaks, turning the fresh snow at the summit from silver to rose. They were back on Kyffin where a blustery wind blew across the meadow. The nights of the double moons were over, the grass was wet with raindrops and the Fa’erie had vanished.

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Chapter Eighteen

Ange stood in the doorway of her cargo hold and surveyed the cramped colonists as they made up beds and hung curtains between each family’s section to gain some semblance of privacy. Running feet pounded down the corridor behind her. She turned in time to throw out an arm and block the girl and boy who came hurling down the passageway. “No running aboard ship,” she commanded. “Aye, aye, captain.” The boy snapped to attention and she recognized Michel. Fighting back a smile, she glanced from him to the girl. “Who’s this, Michel?” “My sister, Michalla.” “Do you know where your beds are?” Michel pointed beyond her, into the hold. “Over there, in the far corner.” She nodded. “That’s a good location.” “You bet!” Michel beamed at her. “We’re near a viewport. I plan to see a hundred thousand zillion suns.” “That many?” Blane appeared on the other side of the doorway and fixed Michel with a stern look. “I think your mother is looking for you two.” With a shout, the two children darted past the adults and disappeared into the crowd in the hold. “It’s going to be a tough trip for them,” Ange said. “Star flight is not nearly as exciting as Michel thinks.” Blane leaned against the doorframe, his arms folded across his broad chest. “No tougher than life on Kyffin. Our families will be able to stay together. They’ll have food everyday and a warm place to sleep. And my brother has promised to find the adults jobs at the end of the journey. The gods are good.” “The Fa’erie king is good, you mean,” Ange whispered, giving him a conspiratorial wink. He turned and grinned down at her with a bold smile. “There’s only one problem, captain. I’m hoping

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you can solve it.” “What’s that?” “The cargo hold is filled to capacity and beyond and I’ve given up my cabin to a very deserving couple. So, there’s no room for me.” She grabbed his shirt in both her hands. “That is a tough problem, Blane. What about your brother? You could bunk with him.” She held her breath, as his eyes darkened, fearing her tease had gone too far. But he only laughed. “Not likely,” he said. “Guess I’ll have to sleep in the corridor. People can just step over me.” “Can’t have that.” She bit her lip to keep from smiling. “Well, maybe you could sign me on and I could bunk with Jake. How’s that?” “Jake never sleeps, I’m afraid.” His eyes sparkled. “I’d still like to join your crew. I have a hankering to see the far reaches of the galaxy. So, what will it be, captain? Can I convince you to sign me on as a deckhand?” Ange turned away from the door to hide the joy bubbling through her and started down the corridor. “I’m not sure I’m in need of a deckhand.” He caught up to her in two long, effortless strides. “I’m versatile. Tell me what you do need.” She glanced at him from under her long lashes. “I need a man who loves me the way I am.” “I’m that man.” He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Do you doubt it?” Ange turned right and headed down another corridor. “So many men have only seen the glamour. They want my body, nothing more.” He grabbed her elbow and stopped, pulling her to a halt. “I could say the same. I suffer from the glamour, too. We’ve moved beyond the faerie lust, you and I. And I love you more than I can ever say, although I plan to spend a lifetime trying.” Her heart leapt into her throat. His words were exactly what she needed to hear. Biting her lip, she turned away and walked another few feet down the corridor. He stood watching her go, a stricken look on his face. “What? Are you going to run away from me?” She halted and faced him. Her hand went out to the latch on one of the doors. “No. I’ve gone ahead to open the door for you. That is—if you want to join me.” She lifted a beckoning finger and backed into her cabin. Blane strode in after her, his broad shoulders filling the doorway as she had once imagined. He slammed the door shut and scanned the room with a quick glance. A narrow bunk and a metal desk were shoved tight against one wall. The other wall had the door to the john and a small closet.

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He smiled. “Spacious quarters.” “It’s tight and unfortunately we’ll have to spend most of the trip in here to keep the colonist from going mad with lust from our scent.” Blane wiggled an eyebrow. “In here? Locked up and alone with you?” “On the voyage out, I got a lot of sleep.” “Not this time.” He leered at her. His fingers slipped between the seal-line of her blouse, separating the fabric. As her blouse tumbled to the floor he drew her close and kissed her lips. His own lips were warm and firm and tasted of sun and sand. “Wait a moment.” She stepped out of his arms and into the bathroom. When she emerged a second later, she held a small bottle of exquisitely etched glass in her hand. Blane lifted an eyebrow. “What’s that?” She squeezed and droplets of spray filled the air between them. She pulled him into their path and let the scented mist settle over both of them. “A perfume. Ryol gave me a sample. It’s called Scent of Magic.” The End About the Author

Words are Jeanine Berry’s passion, so it is no wonder she turned to writing as a profession and eventually became a writer of erotica. Jeanine started scribbling in notebooks in junior high school and kept her parents awake late at night typing away on one novel or another. Most of these early works were lost when Jeanine took a long break from creative writing to pursue a career as a journalist. But eventually the need to spin stories returned and she wrote and published her first novel. Her creative writing ventures include several SF and fantasy works, both on her own and in collaboration with other writers. She’s co-authored the best-selling The Sex Gates and its sequels, Masters of the Sex Gates and Worlds of the Sex Gates, with Darrell Bain. On her own, she is the author of three fantasy novels, Dayspring Dawning, Dayspring Destiny, and The Secret Sky. Jeanine is also the author of three other spicy SF and fantasy books for Extasy. Gabriel's Gift is the sexy and funny story of an alien with strange courting rituals who woes a shy school teacher; The Ailunnean shapeshifter series begins with Destiny Earth and concludes with Alien Seduction.

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On occasion, her husband tears Jeanine away from the computer so they can go golfing together. She also has two adorable Australian Silky Terriers who demand a fair amount of time for petting, walks, and treats ... especially treats.