Racing Hearts (Shadow Quest 4.5) by Kiersten Fay Read Free Book Online Page A

locks moved into
place and a faint hiss issued as the door sealed shut.
    They made their way to the bridge,
where Sebastian claimed his position at the center console. As
ordered, the crew was at their posts with the ship ready for
departure.
    An unfamiliar fragrance filled the
space around him. He sniffed the air. It was feminine. “Cale! Have
you had a female in here?”
    Calic laughed carelessly. Conceit
dripped from his words, “Depends on when you're referring
to.”
    “Keep them out of the control room,”
Sebastian scolded. If Calic was going to consistently break the
rules, there were plenty of more appropriate places to do
it.
    So help me, if he had her
on my console!
    Calic just shrugged in
response.
    Not soon enough, the ship roared to
life. Sebastian was eager to get to the rendezvous and accept the
contract before anyone else beat him to it. His ship was fast, but
they'd been delayed due to the contract with Darius. In hindsight,
he regretted accepting the commission, but the deal had already
been struck, and Sebastian always fulfilled his contracts. He just
hoped the delay hadn't cost him.
    He wasn't too worried, however. The
Serakians stipulations were extreme, to say the least. Even though
the pay was great, he doubted many would be eager to take on the
job.
    His crew barked out their
actions as the thrusters fired, surging Marada forward. With the course set,
Sebastian eased into his seat. The crew seemed to relax along with
him.
    For a long while, he watched the stars
as they twinkled like trapped firebugs, thinking over his checklist
of supplies. They'd made several stops before meeting with Darius,
stocking up in preparation for the long trip ahead. He wasn't
certain how long their journey would take, just that it would be a
great distance. That could mean weeks or months or, gods forbid,
years. He wanted to make sure they were fully prepared for whatever
was required.
    Even though they were currently better
stocked than they'd ever been, he would still barter for more
supplies from the Serakians. Being over prepared would set him more
at ease with what he was about to put his crew through.
     
    Analia woke. The unfamiliar rumbling of
the ship reverberated through her core. How long had she been
asleep? Obviously long enough that the scraps of food she'd last
eaten were all but consumed by her body. The ache in her stomach
punished her for it. She was weak. Struggling to even move her
arms, she wrapped one around herself for added comfort. Icy chills
racked her. Shivering, she stifled a groan, remembering where she
was—a strange ship and an unknown crew. Her heart jumped as
realization hit her.
    I'm free .
    It was done. She was no longer on the
Hell Ship. Grinning stupidly, tears began to stream down her
temples. She had to keep herself from laughing out loud. A weight
seemed to have lifted from her chest, making her feel
lighter.
    Freedom , her mind repeated the word.
    Her joy was cut short, feeling herself
growing weaker by the minute. Her already cramped space seemed to
grow smaller with each breath. Shifting her body in an attempt at a
more comfortable position, she rested her head on the crook of her
arm and stared at the blank grey wall. Once more, her stomach
growled. She clutched her abdomen in an attempt to silence
it.
    She could only hope the crew
decided to dock soon so she could escape this ship and disappear into a
faceless crowd. Her pulse jerked at the prospect. Being away
from Extarga was
nearly intoxicating. But she knew, even though she'd escaped, she
wasn't safe yet.
    Getting on this craft had been easier
than she could have imagined. Surely it would be just as easy
getting off, right?
    At the thought of Darius, she grinned
anew, imagining the look on his face when he found that his
precious Analia was missing.
    Did she just
giggle?
    It was possible she was becoming
delusional from thirst and hunger.
    Just once, she would have loved to see
the look of defeat on his face. To revel in