Among Galactic Ruins by Anna Hackett Read Free Book Online Page B

moment, he turned his head and their
gazes collided.
    It was like being hit by an electric Tase
weapon.
    She looked away and refocused on the dunes
around them. A flash of movement caught her gaze, and she stared up
at the dune peak. She was certain she’d seen multiple shadows up
there, moving around.
    She blinked and saw…nothing but sand. She
shrugged to herself. Maybe the desert was making her imagine
things.
    “So, would you like to hear more about the
fascinating history of Zerzura?” Dathan said, interrupting her
musings.
    She glanced again at the empty dune, then
turned her attention to the young man. “Of course.” That sounded
like a much better way to pass the time than desert mirages.

Chapter Six
    “The first Terrans arrived here thousands of
years ago, when their ship crash landed.” Dathan’s voice took on a
dramatic edge. “Even then, there were already some alien species
living here, and already many ancient ruins from species long
past.”
    The kid had flair, that was for sure. Damon
directed his ballo over some rocky ground. He suspected this speech
must have been one the treasure hunter practiced for his
clients.
    “I’ve seen lots of Zerzuran artifacts,” Lexa
said. “Some of the ancient cultures were so old, they have no
identification. We have no idea who they were.”
    “That’s right. And after the destruction of
Earth, more Terrans came. They intermingled with the locals and
built a thriving culture. The climate was much better then, similar
to Earth in its prime.” Dathan rode with a steady hand, leading
them through the dune valley. “They built cities, farms and
temples. They gave the planet its current name. Zerzura was an old
myth on Earth. A lost city in the desert.”
    “It must have been something to behold,”
Lexa said. “And I’ve researched the Terran myth of Zerzura a
little. There isn’t much information about it, but apparently it
was a lost white city in Earth’s largest desert. It was said to be
filled with treasures and fair-haired men.”
    Damon smiled. The excitement in her voice
was infectious. He listened to her pepper the kid with questions
about the local legends, and Damon shook his head. He could listen
to her talk all day. Despite the smelly beast he was riding, he
felt…easy. For the first time in what felt like forever.
    It didn’t change the fact she was
opinionated, and a magnet for trouble, and didn’t hesitate to
complain when she disliked something he did, but he was actually
starting to find all of that a bit endearing.
    He watched her as she rode ahead of him,
looking extremely graceful atop the ugly animal. You would have
thought she was riding some prized thoroughbred horse. It gave him
thoughts of her riding him, rising and falling above him, her
beautiful breasts bouncing and her back arched.
    Shit . He shifted. That was all he
needed, an erection while riding this shaggy monster.
    “The climate changed,” Dathan was saying,
“and it killed off the Terrans’ attempts at creating another
Earth.” The young man looked back over his shoulder. “Many people
here have Terran blood. Or so they claim.”
    Damon scanned the magnificent dunes. Here
the sands were a multitude of colors—bands of cream, yellow,
orange, brown and red.
    Lexa was talking, something about the temple
ruins, when her words drifted away.
    He frowned. She was staring off at the top
of the dunes to the right. “Lexa?”
    “I…think I saw something.”
    He glanced in the same direction. Nothing
moved, except a small stream of sand whipped off the top of the
dune by the wind.
    “I thought I saw something earlier, too.
Shadows.” She shrugged. “Figured I was imagining it.”
    Damon stared at the dunes again. Still
nothing. But he felt that familiar tingle between his shoulder
blades. The one that had saved his life many, many times before. He
whipped out his high-powered binocs from his pack and scanned the
dunes.
    “Anything?” she asked nervously.
    He shook