Chapter 45

Dusty and James skulked around the old ships.

They were set up exactly as Demetri had said. As they visited each ship, they installed remote sensors that would pick up video and sound. While the devices were tiny, a spell also hid their location and deflected other devices from locating them. Only an electromagnetic pulse would kill them.

They also added sensors to the third gunship and the freighter that were parked on the ground so they could identify the crews. Dusty then accessed the computers on these ships and disabled them. They wouldn’t be going anywhere until she decided otherwise.

They didn’t spend a lot of time in the ships, as they didn’t wish to disturb the occupants just yet. This was a fact-finding mission. They did learn that these people had bugger-all food in their stores.

They also determined by the goods that the pirates did have that the locals were either not interested in Earth machines or didn’t like their prices. This explained Fahra’s comment that things were lean.

The pirates hadn’t planted a garden or even crops. They did have a small herd of camlas, and James suggested that they relied a lot on stealing them or rounding them up themselves. They both determined that the pirates had a high-protein diet unless they relied on purchasing fresh vegetables from the markets.

They did wonder what they did for water until they found the water-truck. It would be a pain transporting water from the river to top up the tanks on the ships. They were simply pumping their wastes back into the river.

Dusty wondered why they hadn’t set up tanks and pumps as they did have both in storage that would have done the job. They even had the means of setting up septic tanks, so they didn’t pollute the river. Hard work was definitely not the motto of these people.

Happy they had learnt enough, for now, the couple blinked back to the cavern to get some sleep and regenerate their magic.

An hour later, Dusty was cuddled into James’ arms well sated.

“James,” she said.

“Yes, dear,” he mumbled back as he was on the edge of dropping into sleep.

“I’m not like Lee, I can’t lead these people, and I don’t think I have the right to,” she said with worry evident in her voice.

James cocked an eyebrow at her, “I’m quite sure she said exactly the same thing.”

Dusty gently slapped his chest. “I love using magic, but the price is too high, and I still barely know what I’m capable of at my current level. Some of the things she can do, it is almost frightening. No wonder the politicians and rulers back on Earth fear her.”

“Yes, dear,” he replied as he struggled not to let sleep claim him.

Dusty didn’t open up very often about her feelings, and he knew it was important to listen to her. Demetri’s declaration to follow her must have her worried, he reasoned.

He then chuckled, “Honey, I’ll follow you to the end of the galaxy. Why do you think others wouldn’t? You only have to take our crew. You say jump, and they do. We know officially you are in charge but that is not why they and I follow you.”

She pulled up so she was leaning on her elbow and could see his face in the dimly lit room.

“I know why you follow me, but why do you think they do?”

James pulled her across his body so that she was between his spread legs and leaning on his chest. He then dazzled her with his smile.

“Because you are a natural-born leader. Darling, you have no idea what that aura you have does to people. I was amused watching Demetri falling under your spell just as Pat and Michel did when they met you.”

“I’ve noticed magical people are particularly susceptible to you,” he said as he put his finger on her lips to shush her protest even though he heard it in his mind. “Darling mine, you don’t have to do anything. You just are. You are a force of nature, of the universe.”

“You won’t abuse your power. Your innate sense of right and wrong won’t let you, any more than Lee’s lets her. She also has Sean, and you have me. I think we are the way we are to help balance you both, and I can assure you that Sean and I are perfectly happy with the jobs that fate has given us.”

“You do know I love you, right?’ she said softly.

“Always and forever, my love,” he replied before pulling her gently down to his lips to kiss her softly.

Dusty snuggled her head under his chin, and she dropped into sleep with his arms wrapped around her. James loved having her lying on him, and he stroked her back as he listened to her breathing change.

He happily let sleep have its way once he knew his love was asleep and safe in his arms.

James woke to a call in his mind.

‘Come on lazy, I’ve found something interesting,’ Dusty’s voice echoed in his head.

Chuckling, James rolled out of bed. ‘I need a shower,’ he sent back.

‘Well, hurry up. Head down the fissure in the cave when you’re awake,’ Dusty thought back.

James had a hurried shower and dressed in his suit. If Dusty was exploring, then full-body coverage would be better. He slipped on his pack and blinked outside the ship. He grinned as he found little crystal lights stuck above his head onto the walls inside the fissure marking the way.

James followed them as the slanted crack curved up and around, and the main cavern disappeared from view. He clambered up over several small rock falls and crawled under a very low section for several metres before entering another cavern.

As he crawled forward to clear the low tunnel, he noted that the floor here was flat and even. He stopped when he saw where Dusty had swiped at the floor. The even lines marking the outlines of the tiles were as obvious to him as they would have been to Dusty.