Read Online The Iron Admiral: Deception by Greta van Der Rol - Free Book Online
Authors: Greta van Der Rol
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feeling you’re a bit beyond a mere sergeant.”
“Hey, I’m just a techo.” Allysha liked him, he was nice. Saahren’s face materialized in her mind. What would he do if she hooked up with a new boyfriend? No, not a wise move, especially with someone as vulnerable to his wrath as Erascu would be. “But actually, I’m married.” She shrugged. “Sorry.”
“Sure. I should’ve realized.” They walked on for a few moments in silence. “He’s a lucky man.”
Huh. If Sean was a lucky man he had a strange way of showing it. Whereas Saahren was always gentle, always considerate, always attentive. Then again, maybe he’d change if she married him. Into the dark, vengeful being she’d seen at Lake Sylmander. She had feared him for a moment. And then she remembered a frightened kid watching his sister being raped. There was so much she didn’t know about this man.
Erascu handed Allysha her bag at her door. “Here you are. It’s been a pleasure. If you ever need anyone to spar with.” He lifted his shoulders very slightly. “I’m not always around, but if I am…”
She smiled at him. “Thanks, I’d like that. And thanks for the drink.”
She closed the door, then crossed to the window to stare across the park to the Fleet buildings, burnished in the glow of the lowering sun, her mind whirling with questions. She’d have to get hold of the logs forProserpine andIntrepid .
ChapterEight
Allysha arrived at her office a few minutes late again. Nightmares. This time, she relived a dream she’d had many times after Jossur. She ran through burnt-out buildings among ptorix bodies, searching for her father. Room after room, each filled with mangled metal, dust, filth. Overhead, a huge shadow blocked the sun. Smoke filled her lungs, the stench of death hung in her nostrils as she searched. “Father, father,”
she called. But the only answer was a fiendish chuckle.Chohzu the Destroyer, the great space demon who rained down death and destruction; the name the ptorix used for Saahren.
She went through to the workroom.
“Hey, Lysha,” Anna said. Her teeth gleamed white against her dark skin. “Great to see you back. Life’s been boring.”
Everyone else nodded agreement.
“I’m glad to be back, too,” she said. “Today, we’re going to look at the InfoDroids the Fleet uses to monitor the maintenance logs on ships.”
She’d brought one of the interface units into the training room and left it to hover in the corner, a featureless, dull grey sphere fitted with an imaging display outlet. The works were inside; sensors that could connect to anything.
The team had just started on their first exercise when the IS spoke. “Allysha, you have a delivery.”
Allysha straightened up beside Sirikit’s workstation. “Delivery?”
“Yes. Flowers.”
Leonov’s clerk brought them in and left. Allysha flushed. Flowers again. They were beautiful, ten tall stems with blossoms like wine flutes arranged to display their deep red throats. Their fragrance was unmistakable, delicate and delicious.
“Are they from Brad?” Anna asked, her eyes dancing.
All of the others stared at Allysha, equally curious. She felt like a fugitive under a spotlight as she read the note. ‘I hope your week went well. Brad.’
“Well? From Brad?” Anna repeated.
Please, leave it alone.But they wouldn’t. “Yes.”
“Was he there? At that course?” Anna asked.
She had to think for a moment. Oh, yes. She was supposed to have been instructing at a senior officer’s course. “No, he wasn’t.”
“Ah hah. So heis a senior officer.”
“Where did you get that from?” They were guessing; they had to be.
“The way you said it. As though no, he wasn’t there but he could have been.” Anna’s eyes sparkled with gleeful delight. “Besides, these are love lilies.”
“What?” Allysha collapsed into her chair. She didn’t need this. But shewas intrigued. “Love lilies?”
“Yep. It’s a Fleet thing. If a
“Hey, I’m just a techo.” Allysha liked him, he was nice. Saahren’s face materialized in her mind. What would he do if she hooked up with a new boyfriend? No, not a wise move, especially with someone as vulnerable to his wrath as Erascu would be. “But actually, I’m married.” She shrugged. “Sorry.”
“Sure. I should’ve realized.” They walked on for a few moments in silence. “He’s a lucky man.”
Huh. If Sean was a lucky man he had a strange way of showing it. Whereas Saahren was always gentle, always considerate, always attentive. Then again, maybe he’d change if she married him. Into the dark, vengeful being she’d seen at Lake Sylmander. She had feared him for a moment. And then she remembered a frightened kid watching his sister being raped. There was so much she didn’t know about this man.
Erascu handed Allysha her bag at her door. “Here you are. It’s been a pleasure. If you ever need anyone to spar with.” He lifted his shoulders very slightly. “I’m not always around, but if I am…”
She smiled at him. “Thanks, I’d like that. And thanks for the drink.”
She closed the door, then crossed to the window to stare across the park to the Fleet buildings, burnished in the glow of the lowering sun, her mind whirling with questions. She’d have to get hold of the logs forProserpine andIntrepid .
ChapterEight
Allysha arrived at her office a few minutes late again. Nightmares. This time, she relived a dream she’d had many times after Jossur. She ran through burnt-out buildings among ptorix bodies, searching for her father. Room after room, each filled with mangled metal, dust, filth. Overhead, a huge shadow blocked the sun. Smoke filled her lungs, the stench of death hung in her nostrils as she searched. “Father, father,”
she called. But the only answer was a fiendish chuckle.Chohzu the Destroyer, the great space demon who rained down death and destruction; the name the ptorix used for Saahren.
She went through to the workroom.
“Hey, Lysha,” Anna said. Her teeth gleamed white against her dark skin. “Great to see you back. Life’s been boring.”
Everyone else nodded agreement.
“I’m glad to be back, too,” she said. “Today, we’re going to look at the InfoDroids the Fleet uses to monitor the maintenance logs on ships.”
She’d brought one of the interface units into the training room and left it to hover in the corner, a featureless, dull grey sphere fitted with an imaging display outlet. The works were inside; sensors that could connect to anything.
The team had just started on their first exercise when the IS spoke. “Allysha, you have a delivery.”
Allysha straightened up beside Sirikit’s workstation. “Delivery?”
“Yes. Flowers.”
Leonov’s clerk brought them in and left. Allysha flushed. Flowers again. They were beautiful, ten tall stems with blossoms like wine flutes arranged to display their deep red throats. Their fragrance was unmistakable, delicate and delicious.
“Are they from Brad?” Anna asked, her eyes dancing.
All of the others stared at Allysha, equally curious. She felt like a fugitive under a spotlight as she read the note. ‘I hope your week went well. Brad.’
“Well? From Brad?” Anna repeated.
Please, leave it alone.But they wouldn’t. “Yes.”
“Was he there? At that course?” Anna asked.
She had to think for a moment. Oh, yes. She was supposed to have been instructing at a senior officer’s course. “No, he wasn’t.”
“Ah hah. So heis a senior officer.”
“Where did you get that from?” They were guessing; they had to be.
“The way you said it. As though no, he wasn’t there but he could have been.” Anna’s eyes sparkled with gleeful delight. “Besides, these are love lilies.”
“What?” Allysha collapsed into her chair. She didn’t need this. But shewas intrigued. “Love lilies?”
“Yep. It’s a Fleet thing. If a
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