Dark Matters - Michelle Diener Page 0,48

her would somehow mitigate their crimes.

Lucy moved ahead of him, her stride stiff after two hours on the hover in the cold and wind.

But she didn't hesitate, turning into a room behind the leading two soldiers as if she did it every day.

Maybe her facility and this one had a similar design.

“In.”

Dray saw one of the Tecran soldiers who'd gone ahead was opening up a door to what looked like a prison cell. The door he was holding open was translucent from halfway up, so they could be monitored.

“Restraints,” she answered back in the same tone, coming to a stop and holding her hands out behind her from underneath her cloak.

The soldier glanced over Dray's shoulder, to Virn, and then flicked the cloak back, released her hands, and pushed her inside.

Dray didn't like seeing the Tecran's hands on her; something rose up in him that was tightly coiled, hot and focused.

It must have shown on his face, because the Tecran took a tiny step back.

He forced himself to turn his back, like Lucy had, and lift his arms up, and after a moment's hesitation, the guard complied.

He stepped into the cell before anyone could lay hands on him, because he didn't know if he could take it without a violent response.

There was a bunk bolted onto the wall on both sides of the narrow room, and Lucy was sitting in the middle of one of them.

She watched him as he settled in opposite her with those expressive eyes, the skin below them dark and bruised.

She leaned back, subtly tapped her ear.

He shook his head, then tilted it toward her.

She shook her head as well, miming a boot crushing something underfoot.

That was a blow. He'd hoped they wouldn't check her for an earpiece. Hoped that Bane would be still in the loop.

The thinking system would be working out a way to help them. That that was a comfort, rather than cause for alarm, given what Bane was, was a surprise in itself.

Bane's very existence was everything he'd been taught to fear.

But right now, he was as grateful for the thinking system as for anything he could ever remember.

He and Lucy made themselves a little more comfortable, neither speaking.

A soldier watched them from the other side of the door, and Dray could see the lens, which he guessed had audio capabilities, in the corner of the ceiling.

After a few minutes, Lucy leaned back even more, tipped her head against the wall, eyes closed, and started tapping the side of the bunk with her open palms, humming.

After a few moments of doing that, she started singing softly under her breath.

He rose up slowly, until he was on the edge of the bunk, his gaze riveted.

It was . . . extraordinary.

He'd heard the Earth women, Rose McKenzie, Fiona Russell, and Imogen Peters, sing, both all together and individually, but only through comms, never in person.

And that had been spectacular.

This was something else again.

The air vibrated with the sound, and he felt something inside him clench.

He'd been suspicious that all three Earth women were such amazing music makers, but now here was Lucy, blowing him away. They seemed to be made of music.

She opened her eyes, and then jerked up, the song cutting off at the sight of him.

“What is it?” Her voice was low, frightened.

He blinked. “Nothing.”

“It's something,” she hissed. “You were looking at me as though . . .” She waved a hand. “I don't know what, but it was intense.”

“Your singing.” He wished she hadn't opened her eyes. That she hadn't stopped.

“What about it?” She frowned.

“I--” He didn't know how to describe it. “It was . . . good.”

She shook her head, as if he had lost his mind. “Allll riiight.” She drew the words out. “Thanks. Nina Simone never disappoints.”

“Nina Simone?”

“The original composer and singer of that song.”

“Will you finish it for me?”

The look she sent him was startled, but as she opened her mouth to reply, the sound of footsteps had them both looking out the door.

Dray stood, but Lucy stayed seated, affecting an insolence he hadn't seen in her moments before.

She was deliberately antagonizing the Tecran soldiers.

He worried she would go too far, but it was too late to talk to her about it now.

The Tecran who came to the door and looked in was definitely in charge.

Virn stood to attention behind him, smug but respectful.

The door opened.

The officer hesitated, his gaze going to Dray.

Lucy had gotten their restraints removed, and the officer was suddenly remembering that Dray wasn't