The Healer (The Order of Intergalactic Peace #1) - Kelly Lucille Page 0,44

brow at Rand.

Rand smiled, and like usual it didn’t reach those glittering silver eyes of his. But he turned to the two men she didn’t know and dismissed them with a nod. They left and Rand turned his eyes to Ryker.

Ryker shrugged. “I’d like to stay if you have no objection,” he said without his usual cocky aplomb.

Rand nodded and then asked. “Why did you bring her here if you didn’t know I sent for her?”

“Something she said at lunch,” he said and then looked back at her hesitating with a spark of worry, Serenity assumed for her.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Apparently saying the name Mal Ryn is a big red flag in the Resistance. But I have to say, no matter what he or anyone else expects, calling him Lord master just feels ridiculous.”

“It wasn’t what you said,” Ryker said gritting his teeth and glaring at her. “It was how you said it.”

“Sarcastically?” she asked shooting her own glare back.

“How did she say it?” Rand asked looking a little too interested.

Ryker turned back to him. “She said: ‘At least Mal Ryn doesn’t pretend to be anything but what he is.’”

Rand looked at her. “And what are the rest of us pretending to be Healer Serenity?” he asked as if he really cared what she thought.

Serenity raised her chin and looked him right in the eyes with open challenge. “Benevolent.”

Rand quirked a half smile. The sharp intelligence in his mage eyes snapping at her. “Would it surprise you to know that we are giving you what you want?” he asked.

Both Ryker and Nox stiffened. No one else looked surprised by his words.

Serenity dropped her chin and tried not to get her hopes up.

Rand’s smile widened. “How soon can you be ready to leave?”

“You’re sending me back to Earth?” she asked, barely breathing.

“Not exactly,” Rand said walking closer, so close that she had to step back, which pushed her into the hunter, who as usual was lurking too close. Rand looked down at her and didn’t even pretend to give her space. Nox, didn’t move back, so it was as if she was wedged between two mountains.

She met Rand’s eyes with forming wariness.

“Mal Ryn,” he said, his eyes shining with a strange glee down at her and finished pointedly. “Lord Master in The Order of Intergalactic Peace and High Commander of their armies has denied our people any concessions, prisoner transfers, or peace talks from the beginning of our,” he seemed to search for the right word. “Associations. He and his council of despots had us all branded criminals and ‘refused to legitimize our terrorist actions by talking with us like equals’. This morning he sent an emissary to us, a hunter,” he added and then ran a finger down her face, his eyes taking her in carefully. “who looks a lot like you.”

Serenity sucked in a shocked breath.

“Your father?” Rand asked with a raised eyebrow. He clearly already knew the answer because he went on without waiting for her answer. “A neutral party he calls himself. Unaffiliated with any faction. Who has come with a holo message from the leader of the known galaxies to say that while he makes no promises of capitulation of our demands, he would be willing to hear them with the stipulation that all his people being held by the Rebellion be released from custody and returned to his fleet.

He has agreed to do the same with any of my people he holds.” he paused, and Serenity knew it was for effect and wondered if he had always been this theatrical or if the message had made him giddy. “The truly interesting thing about that is that there are currently no Order personnel currently being held for us to release… except you.”

“Is my father here?” she asked, ignoring the rest of it.

“No,” he said. “It would hardly be smart to bring just any old hunter to our secret base.”

Serenity slumped back against Nox.

Rand raised a brow. “No questions about Mal Ryn or my intentions?”

Serenity sighed and rubbed her eyes. “You are all going to do exactly what you want to do, the lot of you, no matter what I say. And yes,” she said. “I lump you in quite easily with Mal Ryn.”

“Tell me something,” he said shifting back a step to give her room to breathe. Mostly she knew so he could study her more easily with those mage eyes of his. “If you found yourself at the scene of