Free Beneath a Trojan Moon by Anna Hackett

“Where’s Westin?”
    “We can’t find him, sir. He’s been missing since this morning.”
    Something wasn’t right.
    Hunt glanced at the smoldering remains of his apartment. Finally his brain kicked in, working through the despair. There were too many old memories mixed up with his feelings for Relda and it was affecting his thinking.
    Hunt breathed deep, pulling in everything and trying to sort through the scents. He moved closer to the door, fighting past the heavy smell of smoke. He scented the aroma of the Soukan stew his downstairs neighbor always cooked. He picked up the sharp scent of lastite explosive. And there…just the faintest trace of smoky spice.
    Relda wasn’t there, he knew it. Whoever was after the Trojan Moon had taken her.
    “Spaceport. Now.” Hunt ran for the tracer. “Hasan, get on the comm and send a no take-off order for all starships.”
    Gods, don’t let me be too late. I’m coming, beautiful.
    ***
    Relda woke. Woozy, aching and confused.
    She moved and heard chains clank. Her eyes opened and she realized her arms were stretched above her head and chained to the ceiling…of a starship. Panic snuck in, making it hard to breathe. She was naked and her feet were chained as well.
    Infinite energy, her shoulders hurt.
    “Excellent. You’re awake.”
    The crisp, male voice made her raise her head.
    He leaned against the far wall, beside a floor-to-ceiling window that showed a view of the many ships at the Souk spaceport. He was average height, lean, wearing a tailored suit made of some expensive fabric with a sheen. His face was long and narrow with a tiny goatee and eyes of a liquid black. He was older—and it wasn’t just the silver threading his space-black hair at the temples that gave it away—he had an air of a man who knew what he wanted and got it.
    But his aura dominated. Lots of ugly shades of jealous green mixed with soulless black.
    “Who—” her voice cracked, her throat dry. She swallowed and tried again. “Who are you?”
    “Timothy Li.” He sketched a small bow.
    She recognized the name. She made a habit of keeping a discreet ear to the ground on anyone who was overly interested in Vega-Lyrans. Timothy Li wasn’t just interested, he was obsessed.
    Li came closer, studying her with an acute interest that made her skin crawl. When he reached up, she flinched. She tried to use her abilities, but her system was still sluggish, her abilities nothing but a flicker.
    “The chemical we used to subdue you also nullifies your…skills.” He reached up, his fingers brushing her breast as he gripped the Trojan Moon. He held it for a second, eyes glittering. Then he reached up, his breath on her face as he undid the chain.
    He held it up, the light catching the swirls in the blue-gray jewel.
    “Incredible. I couldn’t believe when an associate described it to me. And that he’d seen it hanging around the neck of a beautiful fortune teller in the middle of nowhere.”
    Just a random, chance encounter. The unfairness of it burned her. “How did you know it was the Moon?”
    “He joked about the fact that he thought it had glowed red, just for a second, while you told him his fortune. And I just knew it had to be the Trojan Moon. I knew the red glow was unique to the Moon.” He grinned like an excited child. “I have some Vega-Lyran blood, you know.”
    Yeah, right. Relda rolled her eyes, made sure he saw her do it.
    His teeth ground together and his nearly black eyes settled on her. She felt her skin crawl.
    “I never in a million years thought I’d find a real, live, full-blood Vega-Lyran.” Timothy Li leaned closer, his aura sparking with bright orange and colorless black. He traced a finger down the side of her neck and she shuddered. His eyes flashed with a sickening mix of awe, fear and arousal. “They say fucking one of your kind can make a man immortal.”
    Bile was an acid taste in her mouth. Where did they come up with these stupid ideas?
    “And if eaten,