Read Online Racing Hearts (Shadow Quest 4.5) by Kiersten Fay - Free Book Online

Sonya was on the small side. So was Sebastian,
for that matter, though he still towered over her.
    “You're right,” he said, ruffling her
long, black as pitch hair.
    She bellowed out a curse in Demonish,
their native language, while swatting his hand away. Vainly, she
rushed to fix the disheveled mess. Her violet eyes blazed with
irritation, and a little amusement.
    Sebastian continued to sip his drink
reflectively, as Sonya went about her business, refilling glasses
and seeing to anyone who entered.
    He hoped the decision he had
made to accept this commission was the right one. Sonya's words
repeated in his mind. Whether the package was large or small, it
was significant to someone. Significant to a lot of someones, it
seemed. He couldn't help but wonder why they would trust him with it?
    Finishing the last of his drink,
Sebastian waved his goodbye to Sonya. Calic would be in charge for
the next few hours so he had some time to kill before he took
command again. In the gym, he worked out some of his pent up
energy. A few hours later, he took a dip in the pool. Most days, he
hated his downtime. He always felt he should be doing something.
After the pool, he was relaxed and headed to his quarters for some
rest before it came time to relieve Cale.
     

Chapter 3
     
     
     
    Nearly a full week had passed and all
was calm.
    Sebastian had been working his crew
hard. Round the clock detail. Each day brought them closer to their
goal.
    No one had complained. Everyone seemed
as eager as he to get this job over with. Maybe they sensed what he
did. There was something different about this commission. It was
taken more seriously by everyone. Even the most careless of the
crew were noticeably working harder.
    Sebastian was at his command
center, checking the status of their progress. For the last
week, Marada 's
engines had been churning at nearly constant full speed. It wasn't
fast enough. He had hoped to be farther along than this.
    Sighing, he settled into his chair,
watching the vision of space at his front. It was stoic, calm, and
never ending—deadly, if you weren't careful.
    He imagined how different his life
would be if he still lived on his home planet. If the war hadn't
destroyed it, and if he'd never been deceived by those closest to
him. He would have found a woman, he supposed, made a family. He
would have built them an adequate home on his ancestors’ land, and
he would have strove every day to keep it up. Life would have
been…boring.
    As it was, he loved his adventurous
existence, leading his crew and meeting all the strange races of
the universe. Learning and mastering all the different languages
and cultures. It gave him a purpose.
    A faint groan jarred him from his
thoughts, barely audible against the steady rumble of the ship, but
distinct. Sebastian looked around. No one else seemed to have heard
it.
    Another moan, this one even
quieter…anguished. His brows drew together. He had definitely heard
something. He sniffed, again noticing something different in the
air. Had been for a while, but he hadn't thought much of
it.
    He stood, concentrating on the source,
opening his ears to the smallest noise. All he heard was the hum of
the ship. But the sound had been very close. He thought it had come
from behind, but the only thing back there was the bulkhead and a
small maintenance compartment.
    He approached the wall and stood
silent. A rasping sound came from the other side. He bent down to
open the door to the small compartment and staggered back in shock
as a pair of tiny bare feet came into view.
    “Who's this?” he bellowed, his voice a
mix of threat and confusion. His horns heated as his body reacted
to the flood of demon rage.
    The owner of the wee feet made no
move.
    Sebastian bent closer, cautiously
placing his hand on a thin ankle. Still no movement. He began to
pull until a feminine body emerged from the small space.
    The first thing he noticed was how thin
and frail she looked, as though she would