Part 11 (1/2)
”I have never left my dome and now thanks to you, it's gone.”
He held her arm as he hunted through his cupboard, drawing out a s.h.i.+rt. He flung it at her. ”That'll have to do for the moment, 89 Violet Visions until I program the dispenser.”
He watched as she drew the s.h.i.+rt around her, her slender fingers pressure-sealing the garment.
”Thank you,” she said.
”It's only temporary,” Reilly said. ”I'll have it off you soon enough. We can enjoy the trip back to Earth.”
”No!” she said. ”I don't...”
Reilly studied her downcast face. ”You don't what?”
She lifted her chin. ”I don't allow men to touch me. Ever.”
”Ah...so the s.e.x was an illusion? But why?”
”I gave them what they wanted. While they slept, I stole what I could.”
”An honest thief, if nothing else.”
She lifted her chin, her eyes flas.h.i.+ng. ”The end justifies the means, isn't that what you earthers say?”
”Not in my jurisdiction. The end never justifies the means.”
”I stole enough from each to pay...for the release of my people. There are so few of us left and those who survived the war, were held for ransom.”
Reilly folded his arms. ”Where are you from?”
”My star system no longer exists. Venaris. Do you know it?”
Reilly frowned. Venaris. A legend. A world of s.e.x-witches...the world of the succubae-women who ruled through s.e.x, through the illusions and the promises... so the tales went. ”If what you say is true, you could have appealed to the Galactic League for a.s.sistance, not...”
”We never ask for help from strangers.”
”No, you just f.u.c.k 'em and steal from 'em and then leave 'em.
I don't think much of your ethics.”
”I don't have s.e.x with aliens.”
”At least not physically.” He paused. ”I named you appropriately, Carmen.”
90.
eXtasy's Collective Mind ”How so?”
”Carmen was a wh.o.r.e, she lied and cheated and died because of it.”
”You think so little of me?”
Reilly shrugged. ”What does it matter what I think?”
”You saved my life. There is a debt between us.”
”I was only doing my job. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got work to do.” Reilly stalked past her and returned to the console, plugged into the com link and started sending his dispatches. He carefully left out the s.e.x.
By the time he made planet fall, the legals would have been sorted-it would only require the presence of the defendant- Carmen-to have the file closed. Her sentence? Factors in mitigation? h.e.l.l, no telling what the justiciary would make of her.
After the justiciary, she'd probably be released to the Galactic Diplomatic Service, and after that, more bureaucracy. The thought gave Reilly a pounding headache. Red-tape and bureaucracy...the other cops wondered why he took the longest missions. Why? To get as far away from officialdom as he could.
To be on his own, free among the stars, answering to none. One couldn't measure freedom unless one had seen the stars up close...
He swiveled in his seat and saw her, sitting at the opposite side of the cabin.
”Your people...the ones left,” he said. ”Do you know where they're being held?”
”There are ten star systems, each has custody of five ... what do you call us? Witches?”
”Succubus...a woman to answer the dreams of any man... If half of what I've heard is true...” He gazed at her. ”Are you telling me there are only fifty of your kind left?” Her eyes flooded with tears. Ah h.e.l.l! He hated it when women cried. ”Lady, that 91 Violet Visions must've been one h.e.l.luva war.”
”We died to be free,” she said. ”They came to enslave us, to use us for the s.e.x-dreams, to channel the illusions to their own perversions.” Her gaze locked with his. ”And our dreams can be used to control-to destroy. We died so that others would be free. There is one other who escaped her imprisonment...but I have lost contact with her. She was our Queen.”
Reilly tapped his fingers on the console. ”You can find them?”
”Yes.”
Reilly sighed. ”I guess my first duty is to rescue the dreamers and take you all back to terra-let the diplomats sort it.”
She lifted her gaze to his. ”You would do this for me? After what I tried to do to you?”
Reilly laughed. ”Honey, I enjoyed the illusion you gave me. I pay my debts.”
”As I,” she said and rose slowly to her feet. She walked forward and came to stand in front of him. Her trembling fingers threaded through his hair. ”Your hair is the color of s.p.a.ce,” she said. ”So dark.”
Reilly caught her hand. ”Don't do that.” But he felt his gut tighten, his c.o.c.k harden in the arousal even as he fought to suppress it. He'd been too long without a real woman.
”You smell of s.e.x,” she said. ”I have heard humans are very responsive.”
”Yeah, with the right stimulation we can go all night.”