Free Racing Hearts (Shadow Quest 4.5) by Kiersten Fay

return her to hell.
    Maybe she shouldn't answer
at all. Pretend ignorance of his language. Pasting a look of
confusion on her face, she shook her head as if to say, I don't understand . The
small movement was painful, causing her eyes to go temporarily
blind. She let her head drop to the soft pillow.
    “Sebastian, she's still recovering,” a
voice offered from her right.
    Her gaze darted painfully to the other
man. She recognized him as a doctor. Sebastian's harsh gaze didn't
waver. It became darker as he silently demanded a response from
her. She decided to remain quiet.
    “When did you sneak onto my ship?” He
emphasized the word “my.” When she didn't answer, he leaned his
body over her, bringing his face close to hers. His hands landed on
either side of her head, boxing her in. Two inches was the only
thing that separated them. “You will answer me.”
    The warmth of his breath rolled over
her and stroked her skin, making her shiver. She stared, wide eyed.
His golden glare bore into her, demanding obedience and surrender.
Something protruding from his hair caught her attention.
    Horns?
    Her heart picked up a notch, and her
breath hitched. His features were godlike, perfectly shaped. She
felt the need to touch his face, but her arms still would not
respond.
    Then, for some reason, she became
hypnotized by his lips. As she inhaled his delicious scent, her
mouth watered for a taste. Ever so slowly, she inched forward. His
lips parted slightly, encouraging her. With a start, she realized
she was becoming…aroused?
    Thankfully the doctor interjected,
freeing her gaze and putting an end to…whatever it was she was
about to do. “Can you speak, miss?”
    Sebastian pushed away from her with a
growl.
    They must have given her something, she
rationalized, some kind of drug. Darius never hesitated to keep her
sedated for long periods of time. Grinding her teeth, she thought
this was turning out to be just another hell ship.
    Then she realized why she couldn't move
her arms or legs. She was strapped down. All thought left her, and
she cried out, struggling against the restraints. Anger soon turned
into panic as she fought uselessly to free herself.
    The doctor placed his hands on her
shoulders to hold her still. “It's okay. We only strapped you down
so you wouldn't roll off the bed.”
    His attempt to calm her didn't work. As
she continued to flail she could feel the skin around her wrists
start to break and bleed. Breathing was becoming labored as the
panic grew like a virus inside her.
    “Calm yourself, woman.” Amazingly, she
stilled at Sebastian's clipped words. His voice, still commanding,
held a hint of concern. Or was she imagining that? Staring straight
at the ceiling, drawing in deep breaths, she contemplated how that
one phrase had diminished her distress.
    The drugs, she quickly surmised. The
concern in his voice was only for his equipment and not for her
well-being. She registered the feel of hot tears streaming down her
face.
    Sebastian continued. “The restraints
will stay until I receive answers.”
    “How do you feel?” The doctor resumed
his questioning, as if he hadn't stripped her will away with his
tonics.
    She locked her jaw and stubbornly
refused to talk.
    He then focused his attention on
Sebastian, and they began speaking as if she wasn't there. “I've
healed her as best I can, though I suggest she get some sustenance
in her, so her body can take over the healing process. I'm not sure
what species she is. The shape of her ears should give us a
clue.”
    Analia knew her ears were abnormal,
pointed with a slightly rounded tip. She had never seen anyone with
ears like hers. It was the one thing that made her feel more alone
than being locked away in isolation.
    “What of her blood sample? Have you
found anything there?”
    Blood! Would they be able to determine her ability through her blood?
Would there be something different about it? How could there not
be? Everything about her was different.