“He doesn’t need to protect me because I’m not leaving without you,” Taliane repeated.
Varga looked equally determined not to let Issar accompany them. Joan understood that he was probably concerned about letting such a deadly-looking male join them, but if Issar sought Taliane’s freedom over his own, he must be a pretty decent person.
She gave Varga a pleading look and he sighed. “It’s a very small ship, little bird.”
“We can’t leave them here.”
He frowned at Issar. “Will you give me your word of honor that you will follow my orders and make no attempt to harm my female? Or any of our party?”
Issar studied him for a moment, then bowed his head. “In the name of Napisten, I so vow.”
“Very well.” Varga sighed again and unlocked the cell.
Chapter Twelve
“When you said there was a male ahead, I thought you meant another slave,” Joan whispered to Rummel, relieved that she had misunderstood.
“I did,” he said grimly as they turned another corner.
The entire party came to a halt. This cell was smaller, barren but spotlessly clean. A slender purple male with white hair sat quietly on the mattress, his shoulders slumped.
“He’s Gliesan too,” Taliane gasped, and at the sound of her voice he looked up.
Like her, he had delicate, pretty features but there was a world of painful knowledge in the big purple eyes regarding them.
“This is new. Are the two of you planning on having some type of strange orgy? Very strange,” he added as he took in Saka and Rummel. Despite the almost casual question, she could hear the thread of despair in his voice.
“No,” she said quickly. “We’re escaping. Do you want to come?”
Varga swore under his breath. “Little bird, I told—”
“I know. It’s a small ship. But we can’t leave him here. They took him instead of me!”
“Ah, you must be the cook. Thank you for the food.” The male smiled at her, a sweet, weary smile.
She shot a quick glance at Rummel, and he shuffled his feet, looking uncomfortable. “Felt sorry for the boy.”
“I’m glad you did. I’m so sorry… What’s your name?”
“I’m Nepala. And it’s not your fault.”
“I’m Joan.” She introduced the others, then turned back to Varga. “Please?”
He studied her face, then shook his head as he reached for the keys.
Varga reluctantly released the Gliesan male. Like Rummel, he felt sorry for the youngster. Although he wasn’t in as bad a shape as Polly, bruises shadowed his skin and he walked with a careful step that indicated pain.
“No more,” he told Joan firmly. “Or do you expect me to free everyone in this place?”
Polly moaned and started to back away from them.
“Calm down, Polly,” Joan said soothingly. “He didn’t mean it. But what if there are others who deserve to be released?”
“No one deserves to be here.” Surprisingly, Nepala was the one to respond. “And most of them aren’t that bad. No one asks to be made a slave.”
Joan turned to him, her expression eager. Fuck. This was supposed to be a rescue mission, not a revolution.
“No, little bird.” He hated the way her face fell. “I wish there was something we could do to help, but my first priority is getting you away from this planet.”
Over her head, he could see Issar nodding in agreement. Taliane looked worried, Polly scared, and Saka irritated, but it was the disappointment on Joan’s face that made his chest ache.
“Do you really want to help?” Nepala asked. “If you could do so without endangering your female?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Give me the keys. Let me go back and free all of the slaves currently in their quarters.”
He shook his head, pointing back down the corridor. “The tunnel is blocked. You can’t get through.”
That surprisingly sweet smile flashed across the young male’s face. “One of my… visitors had done some repair work on the cells. There’s a utility tunnel that runs behind them. It may be open.”
“He’s right,” Rummel agreed. “It’s possible he could get through that way.”
“And then what? The guards have weapons. The slaves have none.”
“But there are more slaves than there are guards. And they won’t be expecting us.” Another quick smile. “Perhaps we will even make enough of a diversion to cover your escape.”
“And perhaps you’ll get yourself killed, you young fool.” As much as he admired the boy’s courage, the odds were against him.
“Then I’ll die trying to do the right thing.”
Varga looked at Joan. Her eyes were filled with tears, but she nodded.
“Very well. Here.” He handed over the keys, then silently gave Nepala his blaster.
The male’s eyes widened. “Don’t you need this?”
“I’ve never needed a weapon yet,” he said truthfully.
“Thank you. All of you.” Nepala gave them a solemn nod, then vanished down the corridor.
“All of you are fools,” Saka muttered. “And he’s the biggest fool of all. Why would he go back?”
“He has a brother,” Rummel said. “The guards were going to take him and Nepala volunteered in his place.”
Fuck. He actually took a half-step after the boy before he came to his senses. First, he had to get Joan and the others off of this planet. Then he would send in every mercenary he could find to assist in this revolution he had started. He could only hope it wouldn’t be too late.
He turned back to find Issar watching him. “I’ll send for help as soon as we’re free.”
The Asing male nodded, even though Varga suspected that he too wondered if that help would come too late.
“It would be an
