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With their backs to him, the couple stared atthe mat finish on the titanium doors. It was Shanee who moved first, turning topush Ailyn away before spinning around to confront the man whose hand grippedan obsidian dagger.

Ailyn hit the opposite wall of the elevatorcage with his right shoulder and bounced off it, falling back to land on hisass on the floor. The force of his collision with the wall had sent a numbingpain all the way down to his fingers. Grabbing his hurt arm with his otherhand, he stared up at his lady as she struggled with the man who was strivingto stab his blade downward toward Shanee. Before Ailyn could get to his feet,the elevator came to a halt, settled and the door opened, spilling the Amazeenand her protagonist out into the corridor. He gasped as he saw his wife fallingbackward with the man atop her. Scrambling to his feet, he reached out to grabthe man’s shoulders to pull him off Shanee. With a growl, he spun the man awayfrom his wife.

“Cocksucking scum!” Shanee snarled as shewas jerked up by her husband’s pull on the assailant. She used every ounce ofher strength to twist the man’s wrist until the blade he’d intended to use wasimbedded to the hilt in his own heart.

The man looked down with disbelief at thedagger buried in him then lifted his eyes to Shanee. “You bitch,” he whispered.He was dead before he hit the floor.

Breathing heavily, the Riezell Guardianrolled off the dead man and sprang to her feet. Her husband was staring at her.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She nodded and bent over to pull off theman’s left boot, her jaw clenched. Peeling away his sock as well, she looked atthe bottom of his bare foot where a mark on his sole identified him for her.

“A Storian Primary,” she said, dropping hisleg. “I thought as much.”

“I heard they wore the Assassin’s Mark onthe left side of their neck,” Ailyn said.

“Aye, they used to, but now they hide it sothey appear no different than you or I,” she said. “They’ve been doing it for awhile now. We’ve known about it since your stepfather was attacked a few yearsago.”

At the mention of Vice-Counselor Jost,Ailyn frowned. “That bastard could have killed you, Shanee,” he said.

“Not a chance. I felt him the moment we goton the elevator and I know you did too. He’s one of O’Shay’s hirelings nodoubt,” she stated. “That’s the second time they’ve tried to do me in.”

Guards suddenly appeared rushing towardthem down the corridor.

“What happened here?” one of the men askedafter introducing himself as the chief of security.

After relating to the security chief whathad transpired, Shanee told him she’d brief the captain. “You might as welljettison him now. You can do a retinal scan but there’s not a chance in amillion of finding out who he is,” she said.

“He called himself Franklin and he justsigned on this trip,” the chief said. “Kept to himself.”

“Typical Storian professional,” sheallowed. “Get this prick out of here.”

“Aye, aye, Ma’am. If I need any moreinformation from you, Colonel, I’ll get in touch.”

“Whatever,” she quipped then took Ailyn’sarm as two guards picked up the dead man to take him to the morgue. “Let’s go.I’m hungry,” she said, and pulled him along with her.

“That’s it?” he asked her. “That’s all theresponse you’re going to show? You killed a man, ionúin.”

“What would you have me do, ehemann?Flutter my eyes and faint? Fall into your arms and sob?” She snorted. “Notgods-be-damned likely you’ll ever see me do either. He struck, Icounterattacked and he died. End of story.”

“I would have killed him for you,” he said.

“There was no need. I can fight my ownbattles.”

When they reached the VIP dining hall, thecaptain had already been apprised of what had happened. He apologizedprofusely, made sure Ailyn had not been harmed and invited them to take a seat.The others at the table also voiced their concern.

“We are fine,” Ailyn said, sensing theannoyance that was lurking just beneath the surface of his wife’s barely civildisposition. “It’s all over with.”

“Not a very good welcome back to militarylife,” the healer commented.

“Oh Colonel, your mother sent a messageasking you to contact her first thing when you return to your quarterstonight,” the captain said.

Shanee’s head snapped up. “When was this?”

“She called while you were en route to thedining hall,” Captain Bartlett replied. “I told her what had happened butassured her you were all right.”

Glaring at the man, Shanee asked from whereher mother was calling.

“She is staying in your quarters onRiezell,” Bartlett reported.

Ailyn saw a muscle jump in his lady’s cheekand knew she was a breath away from exploding with fury. Her hands wereclenched into fists in her lap and her gray eyes were sparking fire, her lipspressed tightly together. He reached out to place his hand over hers. He felther jump then snap her attention to him.

“I am here,” was all he needed to say tocalm her down.

Shanee let the tension drain from her rigidshoulders and she tried to smile although her lips would not obey the command.Ailyn’s warm flesh on hers was a promise of more than just unity. He wasletting her know he had her back.

The rest of the evening passed intolerablyslowly for Shanee and she was thankful nearly all the questions and remarkswere aimed at her husband and she was being all but ignored. His ordeal on R-9,his intriguing status as a Reaper, his tales of life on Theristes, held thoseat the table spellbound. She was keenly aware of his polite answers, his calmvoice, even his laugh now and again but since he was sitting beside her, herattention would drop to his right leg as it bounced up and down, anunmistakable sign of his agitation.

Walking hand in hand back to the elevatorlater, they were quiet, each lost in his or her own thoughts.

“Was that as excruciatingly boring to youas it was to me?” she asked as they waited for the elevator doors to open.

“I’ve had worse times,” he admitted, “butit’s been awhile.” The doors opened and he put a hand