Smelling the stew, Kat realized how hungry she was. Her stomach growled. Putting the tray on the table, she grabbed the bowl and the eating utensil lying next to it that resembled a spoon and walked over to the chair. She pulled one leg under her body and sat down.
Kat just wanted to take a big bite when she faltered. Loanod had said he hated her. What if he had done something nasty to the food, like spitting in it? Once, her brother had put worms in her salad after Kat had punched him in the face for decapitating her doll. She had almost put the fork in her mouth before she’d realized her salad was alive. The memory still gave her the heebie-jeebies. She had screamed so loudly the palace guards had run in with their weapons drawn. And Lirid had laughed so hard he had nearly peed himself. Of course, in retaliation, she had painted his face like a clown, including a deep red nose, with waterproof paint when he was asleep. It had taken him three hours of intensive scrubbing to get the stuff off, but only after he had walked around with it all afternoon. And the best part was, all the staff in the castle had kept their mouths shut and had smiled at him as if nothing was wrong, only to burst out laughing when Lirid was out of earshot. If he hadn’t looked into a mirror before going outside, he would never have noticed it. Yes, revenge was sweet indeed.
Kat looked down at her bowl, then raised it to smell the stew. It didn’t smell strange. Should she risk it? Even though it might not look like it sometimes, her brother loved her dearly, as she did him. Whatever Loanod felt, he certainly didn’t love her. The things he could have done to her food were far worse. Nope, it was better to be safe than sorry. With a sigh of regret, Kat put the bowl down on the table.
“This sucks. Big-time!”
“Why haven’t you eaten?” Dykan asked furiously after he returned. He had walked into his quarters and immediately seen the uneaten bowl of stew. “Are you not eating because you are mad at me? I never assumed you’d be that childish. Well, let me tell you this: you are going to eat, even if that means I have to feed you. With force if necessary. Do you understand?”
Kat had bathed and was sitting in the chair, her hair wet. She was still wearing Dykan’s shirt, but now with a belt she had found in the closet wrapped around her waist, making the shirt look more like a dress. Seeing him again made her belly flutter. Damn it, she told herself, you’re mad at him, remember?
Dykan stalked toward her with a threatening glow in his eyes. As fast as lightning, he pulled her up, slipped under her in the chair and had her squirming on his lap.
“So, what’s it going to be, Kitten?” he asked as he held both her wrists in one of his hands and taking the bowl from the table with the other.
“Let go of me, Dykan. I want to eat. Really, I’m starving. But I can’t eat this.”
“Why not? Isn’t our food exquisite enough for your taste buds, milady?” he taunted with a crooked smile.
Kat jerked an elbow into his stomach, which made her flinch in pain. It felt like she had punched a brick wall. And worst of all, it hadn’t affected him even a bit, she noticed regretfully.
“No, that’s not it. I can’t eat it because Loanod brought the food and he told me how much he dislikes me. You punished him for us sneaking aboard. I’m afraid he did something to the food to get back at me.”
Dykan stared at her intensely for a moment. Then he shoved the bowl back on the table, stood up and pulled her with him toward the door.
“Where are we going?” Kat asked. Was he going to throw her in the brig with her brother and cousin? A sting of regret pierced her heart.
“To get you something to eat.”
Holding on to her, he pulled her across the narrow corridors until they walked into a room mostly filled by a large table and a kitchenette at the back.
“This is our mess hall.” Dykan nudged her toward the kitchenette. “If you don’t trust the food we bring you, you are more than welcome to prepare your own. This is the food replicator.”
Dykan leaned his shoulder against the machine and made an it’s-all-yours gesture with his hand.
“We don’t have many choices, only six. If you don’t like the taste of raw meat, I advise you to skip the first three options.”
Kat stepped forward and tried to concentrate on the food replicator as Dykan watched her every move. His presence was too distracting, though. Without any thought, she pushed the last button, oblivious to what she’d just ordered.
The food replicator hummed, and after a few seconds a bowl containing a green broth slid out of the opening at the bottom.
“Good choice,” Dykan remarked. He pushed himself off the machine and courteously pulled back one of the chairs, inviting Kat to sit. Kat picked up the bowl, grabbed a spoon thingy out of the holder on the counter and sat down. With the elegance of a panther, Dykan flung himself on the chair next to hers. He put his elbow on the table and rested his head on his fist. And stared at her.
“Are you just going to stare at me while I’m eating?” Kat asked, feeling more and more uncomfortable by the second.
“No, just the first few bites,” he replied. “Eat.”
Kat complied and put a spoonful of the green broth in her mouth. It wasn’t the best-tasting food she had ever eaten, not by a long shot, but considering she couldn’t even remember the last time she’d had a proper hot meal, it tasted like heaven. Kat closed her eyes and groaned with delight.
“If you groan like that, Kitten, I can’t guarantee I will let you finish that bowl.”
She opened her eyes to see Dykan’s flicker with desire and she felt that flutter again. How was it possible to hate someone’s way of life and at the same time feel so much attraction for that person, Kat wondered. Maybe there was something terribly wrong with her. She had to remember this was just a temporary thing—she was on this ship because she needed to return to Cassidiri and get help for Lucas, nothing more—and get control over her feelings.
Just act as if you don’t care about him, she told herself, and get through this with your head held up high.
“Where are your crew members?” Kat asked to get a conversation started.
“Doing their duties,” he replied. “They’ll come here when they are finished, to eat and relax a bit.”
“How many men are part of your crew?”
“Including me, six.”
“All Makaen?”
Dykan nodded.
“So, who haven’t I met yet?”
Dykan narrowed his eyes in distrust. “Why are you asking me all these questions?”
Kat snorted. “Wow, paranoid much?”
What was he thinking? That she was gathering information for the authorities? That she would get him arrested as soon as she was off his ship?
“It’s called making conversation. It’s what people do when they don’t want to stare at each other for a long time in awkward silence.”
“Well, like you said: I’m a pirate, a criminal. I live in a universe where I can only trust my crew. We”—he pointed back and forth between Kat and himself—“are complete strangers to each other. Oh, female, I know your body better than anyone, but I have no idea who you really are or what’s going on in there.” He tapped his claw on her forehead. “You look like this sweet, innocent creature, but there is something about you that tells me you are dangerous. I can feel it in my gut.”