She hated his guts. But Esau was barely eighteen, not a boy but not quite a man, wanting any sort of male attention and guidance. If their father showed up while she was away on business, Esau would have gone with him without question.
And that was exactly what had happened.
She had to find him before he was embroiled in one of their father’s many schemes. That would only end badly. She was under no misconceptions about Helldrick. He’d use his son and abandon him if necessary, leaving him to deal with the mess he’d created.
It was a scenario that had played out again and again her entire life.
“Not going to happen.” She licked the remnants of the honey from her fingers and finished her tea just as the stranger emerged from the stall. Turning her head away, she watched him with her peripheral vision.
Let him go.
Chances of him being involved with her father were slim. Watching him had mostly been a distraction from the disaster of her life. Tossing her cup into the nearest recycler, she went in the opposite direction.
A man shoved past her, not breaking stride. She bit the inside of her mouth rather than yell at him. Samar was well known to everyone in Badwa. He ran with a group of young men who made trouble for all. The authorities did nothing. If someone dared complained, misfortune rained down on them.
Jamaeh turned and shaded her hand over her eyes, picking out several of his known companions. Who did they have in their sights this time?
The tall stranger turned down a lane and Samar followed.
“Don’t do it,” she muttered, even as she started moving in their direction. Getting involved would only bring more hardship her way, but damned if she’d leave the stranger to deal with them on his own.
Chapter Two
Zaxe followed a lane away from the market, still stunned by what he’d learned from the old man. How could he have forgotten so much of his childhood? Allowed the knowledge of his parents to slip away until barely anything remained?
Castigating himself wasn’t going to help. He’d been a small, skinny boy of six, alone on a strange world, trying to protect his sister while dealing with the trauma of watching both parents be slaughtered in front of him. It was little wonder he’d buried it all.
When his life had changed, it had gotten better in some ways and worse in others. Memories would have only hurt, so he’d let them go.
Now that the door was open, they were roaring back. With them came a thirst for justice and vengeance. He would have both once his mission was done.
He slowed his steps and took a breath. The best thing to do was go back to his ship and get his bearings before dealing with the job at hand. Helldrick was his priority. The past couldn’t be changed, but his sister’s and his future hinged on him getting this job done.
Delphi would scold him if she could see him now, recklessly walking down a strange street without paying attention. Sass, his adopted sister, would kick his ass.
His awareness, which had been muted under the onslaught of memories, surged to life. The smells and sounds of the marketplace had faded, replaced by the earthy scent of the dirt path baked by the heat of the sun and the occasional whiff of something cooking in a nearby home. While he’d studied the layout of the city, the reality was far different from the map he’d been able to access. In truth, the place was a maze of lanes and paths that sometimes dead-ended. Best to go back to the main road and make his way to the docking station from there.
Several sets of footsteps sounded behind him. They were loud and filled with purpose, not even trying to be stealthy. It might be nothing, but there was a snap of electricity in the air, a sense of danger that promised otherwise. He’d been expecting this since he’d realized someone was watching him.
His hands flexed, curling into fists before relaxing. A fight would allow him to use some of his excess energy in a constructive manner. It would also be the height of stupidity, possibly get him in trouble with the local authorities—exactly what he didn’t need.
Taking a deep breath, he reached for the mental and emotional armor built by years of training. It settled over him like a second skin. Outwardly nothing had changed, only everything had. He was once again the deadly assassin he’d been trained to be.
He turned and noted the three men coming toward him. They were in their early twenties, tall and fit, all wearing local clothing—sturdy white pants and cloaks with shirts of various shades of a summer’s sky beneath. The one in the center of the pack walked slightly ahead, a sneer on his face. He’d be their leader.
“Looks like you’re lost.” It was not a friendly inquiring.
Saying nothing, Zaxe began to stroll in their direction. They stepped into his path, giving him nowhere to go and making their intentions to waylay him plain. He started around them, but their leader grabbed him by the arm. “I’m talking to you.”
Silence was a powerful weapon. Zaxe simply stared down at where the man’s hand gripped his arm.
“We’ll give you safe passage through the city.” The man motioned to himself and his buddies. “There are people around who like to take advantage of strangers. Badwa can be a dangerous place.”
Ah, so that was their game. No matter where in the galaxies he’d traveled, there were always men like this ready and willing to prey on those they considered weaker. “And how much will this safe passage cost?” He kept his tone level, even slightly amused.
The man’s smile was tinged with cruelty and a hint of anger. “We prefer to call it a donation. Six hundred amants should cover it. Two hundred apiece.”
As a shakedown, it was affordable enough, so most would pay rather than risk the consequences. Zaxe cataloged the face of each man for future reference as he reached into his pocket. “That seems reasonable.”
The sneer deepened. He glanced at his friends and grinned. “Sorry, did I say six? I mean a thousand.”
Ah, they thought him weak for agreeing to pay so easily. He left the money where it was and smiled. “You had to get greedy, didn’t you? It wasn’t enough for you to take your money and go.”
Now the grin faded. “You’ll give us the money or we’ll take it from you.” All pretense of being pleasant disappeared.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Every muscle in Zaxe’s body was primed and ready. He wouldn’t even need weapons, seeing as they didn’t have any. The advantage was his, but it was closer to fair given there were three of them. “You can all walk away and enjoy your day.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” The man spat at Zaxe’s feet. “Coward.”
He shook his head. “A coward is the man who attacks those he believes weaker.” It took the man a few seconds to understand he’d been called out.
“I was just going to smack you around a bit and lighten your wallet. Now we’re going to kick your ass.” His friends came up alongside him.
Adrenaline flooded Zaxe. Anticipation thrummed through his veins. A part of him was looking forward to this, even knowing it could bring future problems.
The man raised his clenched fist.
“Leave him alone, Samar.” A woman slipped through a tiny gap between two homes. The space between the stones didn’t look large enough for her to have fit, yet she had.