Kaau li allowed him to lead her because she had no power to resist, nor had she anywhere to go if she had.
They stepped into a warm, luxurious room that she had never entered before. And a real fireplace with a hot fire blazing inside graced the center of the room, casting flickering light all around. The stone chimney towered up into the ceiling, disappearing into what must have been the deck above. Kaau li wondered if the smoke were vented into the brig, to suffocate Kaur’s prisoners.
She shook her head. No need to keep thinking such thoughts. They wouldn’t do her any good.
The room’s metal walls were disguised with tapestries, and the furnishings looked like real wood from Old Earth. How or where he’d got them was anyone’s guess.
One of the tapestries caught her eye. It depicted a space battle at the top, with armored soldiers charging each other in front of a smoking ship below. Many had already died grisly deaths, their bodies headless or limbless. Dark red blood splattered the tapestry, pooled under the bodies. It looked suspiciously real. Kaau li shuddered and turned away.
Kaur was watching her. He always watched her. “You haven’t said anything,” he remarked. “Drink?”
He swept his hand toward a service bot standing in a dark corner. It rolled forward, its smooth face expressionless and uncaring, and offered her a drink from the tray in its hands. The amber liquid in the cup steamed like it was on fire, but it wasn’t. It smelled sweet and almost made her gag. Although service bots were common throughout the galaxy, this one, like the cyborgs, only reinforced Kaur’s image as a cold, heartless man.
Kaau li’s throat was parched, but she shook her head politely.
With a scowl, Kaur moved toward her and put a hand on her shoulder. “What’s the matter, my Kali? Did any of my crew bother you?”
She did her best to smile through her fear, but her heart was pounding so loudly she knew it would give her away. “No, Kaur. No one bothered me.”
Kaur’s eyes searched hers, looking for the truth. Kaau li held his gaze, aware that not many people were ever invited to do so. He pulled her forward, leaning in for a kiss. She didn’t protest, tried to make hers seem genuine. After all, if her plan were to work, he couldn’t feel rejected.
Kaau li must have been a better actor than she thought, because when Kaur pulled away, he smiled. “Is your crew docked, or did they drop you off?”
“They are docked.”
“Invite them aboard.”
Pushing aside her fear, Kaau li smiled, slipping into an easy familiarity with him. Time to execute her plan. “Are you trying to recruit my crew?”
“Perhaps I am. I could give them positions, rank. They are more than capable.”
“Yes, I know. I hired them, remember?” Kaau li smirked at him and moved to sit in a chair, pretending to be tired. She was tired, actually—her heightened state of awareness and her anxiety were causing an exhaustion all their own.
“That’s not a yes,” he said, frowning. He snapped his fingers, and the robot rolled forward again. He took the steaming drink that Kaau li had rejected.
“As I have told you many times, my love, we work best when we don’t have to work together.”
“Is it the Wraith? I agree it’s depressing inside. That could be fixed.”
“All for me?”
Kaur set down his drink and leaned forward. “If you will stay this time.”
Kaau li’s heart pounded in her chest, and she silently cursed herself. He wanted her to stay.
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