I'd wanted to avoid Icaan for the rest of the day, but alarm bells started blaring within minutes of me finishing my breakfast and I soon found myself rushing to the cockpit regardless. If there was trouble then I wanted to help even if I didn't like Icaan right now.
Icaan was already there, a blanket to one side of the small room showing that he'd slept in there overnight. I felt a pang of guilt that he'd felt like he couldn't return to his bedroom, but it was fleeting.
"What's happening?" I asked when Icaan appeared to be calm but the radar continued to show that there were nearby ships.
"We've found a Frentin patrol around the inner section of occupied space," he replied. "That's all."
"So why all the alarms?" I asked, not sure I believed the calm I was seeing when every other beep or noise the s
The rest of the day had passed in a sort of uneasy truce. I stayed with him and he didn't make any more remarks about selling me. The path wasn't hard to fly through, but we spent most of the time in the cockpit anyway.Although I'd never have admitted it, I wanted to get an idea of the route we were taking and how busy it was. If lots of people were flying this way it was going to make it harder to escape later, but it hadn't been as busy as I'd feared. Ships flew along the route, but they hurried on their way and didn't even hail us.At least until we got close to the market. When we were about an hour away more and more ships appeared, flying in every sort of direction. It was clear that the market was a massive hub for the Frentin race and many were coming to make trades of some kind or another.I tried not to let my fear overwhel
"We should hurry," Icaan said as he climbed up the nearest set of steps and pulled me along with him. "We need to get all of the trades done before the end of the day ideally."I considered demanding to know who he was going to sell everything to and where we were going as well as sentimental thoughts about if it would be prepared, but he'd promised me that he'd see it into safe hands as well as he could, even trying to get whoever bought me to buy my ship as well. Neither of us mentioned how unlikely we thought that would be.As we neared the end of our set of docking bays I noticed there was an area where cargo could be placed and then fed into a sort of machine. Icaan placed his crates there and scanned something in his hand. A moment later it assigned the contents of an unmarked metal box to him and it was held on the end of something a bit like a conveyor belt.
Before anyone could do anything else I stepped up to the counter and drew the shop keeper's attention. He may have just bought my ship but he wasn't getting to keep it without appreciating what it meant to me. And Icaan had clearly forgotten his promise."Can you hold onto it for a little while?" I asked. "I want to try and persuade whoever buys me to buy it. She's been my ship from the beginning."There was an awkward silence and the shopkeeper glanced at Icaan. The ex royal frowned but nodded."I did promise her that I'd ask you to," he said with a frustrated sigh. I couldn't be sure if he was annoyed at me for bringing it up or annoyed at himself for not saying it sooner."Well, I won't turn down a good offer if one comes along, but I won't be listing it until it's repaired either. It would buy y
I tried not to fidget as I sat down on the chair beside Icaan and watched as the two Frentin entered my details into some sort of slave database. I was interviewed briefly about my capabilities and I did my best to provide them with useful information as if I was eager to find a buyer who appreciated me.Mostly I focused on every detail Icaan had told me about what people might be looking for, but I also made a point about being a good mechanic and pilot. If nothing else it meant there was a chance someone would come along who wanted me for what I could do rather than how good I was to screw."I must admit," the guy said as he sat back, "this one is a lot calmer than they normally are. And not as unraveled by being close to us.""No, Jet has a better understanding of her situation and she seems to be able to resist the more subtle eff
I let Hentin lead me away from the room, taking me back out of it again and into the shop momentarily. I considered running then and there, but I knew I needed to be much more sneaky. I had to get out of the place while no one was noticing. If I ran I'd be hunted quickly.Wanting to at least appear slightly nervous, I glanced out of the shop anyway, but I only let my gaze linger on it a moment. Just enough to make it obvious I'd considered it but not needed anyone to warn me it was a bad idea.Hentin took another door and led me into what could only have been described as something a bit like a hotel with no reception desk. There were rooms with numbers on the doors lining the corridors. Some of them were open, the sounds of people talking within them. Others were closed.We traveled down the corridors past about six rooms and then he
Simbir looked me over suddenly not looking so bored and came closer. I held still, knowing this was going to impact how much I was trusted. He'd told me that some hormones had little to no effect, so I just had to pretend that was happening with him, even if it wasn't.Slowly, the Frentin male came closer, reaching to put his hands around my waist. I didn't hide all of my nervousness, but I kept cooperative. Somehow I simply had to resist but appear willing to try.Before he could do more than pull me close and try to encourage me to lean into him and inhale, there was the sound of something clattering in one of the rooms. Immediately the woman in there let out a frustrated yell and more bangs and shouts followed."It seems we'll need to come back to this," he said as he pulled away."What's wrong?"
The corridor outside was quiet but I was careful anyway, opening the door only a fraction and peeking out. Now I had to balance getting out of the room before Simbir came back and avoiding anyone else moving through the slave compound.It remained quiet and I saw no one so I put the cover back on the door lock making sure the wires were unconnected so no one else inside could open it and moved further out and pulled the door shut behind me. It clicked and locked again.This was it. If I didn't get away now I would probably never get another good chance for some time. I had to find a way now. Moving down the hallway back to the shop front I tried not to shake too much. I'd never had so much adrenaline coarse through me. My heart raced in my chest, so hyped that I could feel it.Still I moved onward, constantly listening and constantly
I growled as the slaver leaned in and tried to kiss my neck. At the same time I reached for the knife I'd stolen and held it against his side, putting on enough pressure I knew he'd feel it.He lifted his head as I growled at him."Do you really think my master, Icaan, the royal prince himself, would send his slave out here if she couldn't handle herself and resist Frentin who didn't respect the rules?" I demanded, sounding braver and far fiercer than I truly felt.Fear was keeping me lucid enough to manage to show the anger I also felt.He studied me."Icaan? I don't believe you. He's-""Not a real prince right now. I know. Which is why he's only finally kept a slave because he found one who doesn't melt the second one of you l