Sons of Lyra: Fight For Love (2 page)

She shook her head when
she realised that he thought she wanted to hurt Remi.

“
It’s not like
that,” she said quickly. “He came into my office hurt again today
and I wanted to make sure he was alright.”

“
So you
followed him?” The man’s grip tightened and anger flashed in his
pale blue eyes. Captain Lyra III. Out of the sons of Lyra, only he
had eyes that colour.

“
No, sir, I
didn’t follow him. He always comes here when he needs to think. I
only wanted to make sure he was alright... he gets so depressed
about his arm.”

The man released her and
his look shifted to reveal concern. “What’s wrong with
it?”

“
Nothing,” she
said, feeling she was saying more than she should on the subject.
“It’s fine, but he doesn’t like it. He never has done.”

“
He’s never
said anything to me.” There was an air of disbelief about him, and
a hint of jealousy.

“
He doesn’t say
anything to anyone. I only know because I’m the one who is close
enough to see it in his eyes when he comes into my
office.”

“
Your office?”
he said and looked her over. “You’re a nurse?”

She nodded.

“
They never had
nurses like you when I was going through training,” he muttered
darkly and frowned. “Do you take good care of my little
brother?”

She nodded again and then
added, “I keep an eye on him. He’s doing well in training but
insists on getting hurt.”

“
Insists?” The
man looked confused.

“
Your brother
can take care of himself, as can all the men here, but they seem to
insist on getting hurt so they end up on my inspection
table.”

His gaze raked over her
again, burning her. “I can’t blame them.”

She glared at him and
pressed her hands against her hips.

“
Do you pay
such close attention to all your patients?” he said, his head
cocking to one side as though he was considering getting hurt
too.

She hesitated and then
nodded. Was it a capital crime to lie to royalty? She wasn’t Lyran,
but she did serve in their imperial army. Perhaps that gave her
ties enough to Lyra to make it wrong.

“
I do what I
can to ensure all my patients get the help they need. Your brother
is no exception.”

He looked over his
shoulder towards the door. “Then I ask you to make him the
exception. I ask you to ensure my brother’s happiness.”

He walked away, leaving
her confused and alone. Ensure his brother’s happiness? She
presumed he was talking about Remi’s hatred of his cybernetic arm
and not something else.

Remi frowned when his
brother finally appeared. “What were you doing in
there?”

Acer smiled. “Oh, you
know, staring at the stars. It’s a beautiful view. I hear you go
there often.”

His frown intensified.
“Who told you that?”

“
Does it
matter?” Acer said and placed a hand on his shoulder. He winced.
“She was right, you don’t take good care of yourself.”

“
Who have you
been speaking—” He cut himself off when it dawned on him.
“Emmanuelle.”

“
If that’s the
name of your nurse, then yes, Emmanuelle.” Acer’s gaze shifted to
his cybernetic arm. “She’s only concerned about you. Many a man
would be flattered to have such a beautiful woman’s
attention.”

Remi turned his back and
walked down the stairs to the lift. “I’m not special to her, if
that’s what you’re insinuating. She’s a good woman. She looks after
us all. Just the other day Jericho—”

“
Jericho is
here?” Acer cut in. Remi could hear the disapproval in his voice.
Acer blamed Jericho for what had happened to him during the Varkan
insurgence, even though he’d repeatedly told Acer that it had been
his own fault.

“
Don’t start,”
he said with a sigh and entered the lift. He pressed the button for
the mess hall and watched the doors slide closed. “He’s a good
friend and a good man. I wish you’d quit blaming him already. I
told you it was my fault for not being cautious enough. I’ve
learned my lesson, alright? Let it go.”

Acer frowned at him. He
knew he sounded snappish and angry, but he was tired of going over
the same subject every time they met up. His brother leaned past
him and pressed another button. Remi looked up at him.

“
I just need to
check something on my ship. I came straight to see you,” Acer said
with an affectionate smile.

It had been a long time
since they’d seen each other, although they communicated regularly.
The last time had been Sebastian’s marriage and back then he’d been
a whole person. He flexed the fingers on his left hand again and
stared at it. He didn’t know why he couldn’t accept it was a part
of him now. He wondered if he ever would.

“
What else did
she say?” he said, not taking his eyes off his hand. He still had
nightmares about the night he’d lost it. Not even Emmanuelle’s kind
words and light accepting touch could make those stop.

“
That you
insist on getting hurt.” Acer laughed and shook his head, his smile
broad. “I told her that I couldn’t blame you. She really is a
pretty one.”

Remi couldn’t deny that.
Emmanuelle was beautiful. He’d never seen an angel like
her.

The doors opened onto the
cargo deck and Remi stepped out first. He looked at the people
carrying ship parts through the airlock. There was a muffled curse
and Acer strode past him. He hurried to keep up with
him.

“
Engineer
Stella, I told you to be careful with those weapons!” There was
anger in Acer’s voice but Remi noticed it didn’t touch his eyes.
The look in them was soft, turning gentle as Acer watched the
female engineer nod and continue with her work. Remi looked at the
woman and then back at his brother.

“
Not a nurse,
but a pretty one all the same,” he said, watching Acer closely to
gauge his reaction.

His brother gave him a
shrug and a look that lied and said he hadn’t noticed.

“
Balt
transferred her from his ship for breaking the gravity drive. I
won’t be a minute.” Acer walked away, disappearing through the
airlock.

Remi looked at the
engineer again. His brother couldn’t fool him. He’d have to
congratulate his older brother, Balt, for spotting a perfect woman
for Acer. She was exactly his type—strong, intelligent, stubborn
and dark haired. She’d be a wonderful handful that would get Acer’s
back up and make him fall for her.

Acer reappeared and stood
beside him a moment.

“
Are you
alright?” he said.

Remi nodded. “I was just
thinking. You did disturb my thinking after all.”

“
She watches
you, you know,” Acer said and turned his back to the ship. Remi
noticed that the engineer glanced across at Acer. He wondered how
his brother would react if he mentioned that he wasn’t the only one
a woman was watching.

“
She also calls
me Lyra IV.” He turned away and walked back towards the lift. “I
can’t get her to call me Remi.”

“
Protocol, dear
brother,” Acer said and clapped his hand against his good shoulder.
“It’s the bane of us all.”

Was it? Perhaps he and his
brothers weren’t so different after all. He led the way to the mess
hall and entered second, allowing Acer to go first just so he could
see the panicked scramble of every soldier in the room as they shot
to their feet to salute him.

He wanted to be a captain
and in charge of his own ship. There was such a power gap between
lieutenant and captain. No one saluted him.

“
I know that
look,” Acer said. “I had the same one when Balt visited me once
during my early years in the army. You’ll get there soon enough.
It’s in your blood. We sons of Lyra have a reputation for a
reason... perfection is bred into us.”

Remi shook his head and
frowned. He raised his left hand and sighed. “I’m not perfect
anymore, brother.”

Acer took hold of his hand
and looked it over. “Seems perfect to me. Quit moping or I’ll have
to have a word with that nurse of yours.”

He cursed his brother for
saying that loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the
room. His cheeks blazed and he added a curse aimed at himself for
reacting like a child would to such unwelcome attention. So what if
he liked Emmanuelle. He was a man. He was flesh and blood and had
needs and desires like any other man in the universe. If asked,
he’d be the first to admit that he wanted her for his own. It
wasn’t as though he was hiding his attraction. Everyone in his
squad knew he got hurt with the intention of getting himself into
her office again.

He’d gone there today with
nothing more than a case of bruising.

She never turned him away
though.

He’d seen her turn others
away for such petty wounds.

He chose a seat in the
corner and Acer sat beside him. He listened to his brother relaying
the tale of his last battle in space and it wasn’t long before they
had an audience. Acer was as charming towards the women and as
brash towards the men as usual. It was good to see him again. He
looked down at his left hand. Perhaps his brother and Emmanuelle
were right. His arm hadn’t changed who he was. In fact, he couldn’t
imagine life without it now. He’d grown strangely used to the
superior strength in it and had learned to differentiate between
his two hands so he didn’t crush things with his left hand when
using both.

Acer laughed about
something and everyone laughed with him. Remi realised that he was
talking about him. It was the first time Remi had tried to fly
something coming up all over again. He went to stop him but Acer
held up a hand.

“
Come, brother,
don’t be shy. In a few weeks they’ll send you to the pilot academy
and everyone will discover the dirty secret of your first flight
and crash landing into the palace ponds,” Acer said with another
laugh.

He leaned back in his
chair, letting Acer have his way.

Just as Acer was about to
tell them, the alarms sounded across the ship.

He looked up at the
ceiling.

“
All squadrons
are to report for duty. This is not a drill. We have been issued
orders and are en route to Varka Two.”

His blood ran cold. Varka
Two? His gaze fell to his arm. Was he strong enough to go back
there? He’d learnt a lot in the past few years, but was it enough
to keep him alive? The Varkans were fierce fighters and had some of
the most advanced military equipment in the universe.

Everyone scrambled to
their posts and the room was empty in a matter of seconds. He
looked at Acer.

“
Maybe we’ll
get to spend more time together soon,” his brother said and stood,
placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’d better return to my ship.
We’ll have to detach before you make the shift to full
speed.”

Remi stood and nodded,
trying to be strong. Acer pulled him into a hug and Remi closed his
eyes as he held him in return.

“
Take care,
little brother,” Acer said and then released him, turning away and
walking out the door.

He was alone.

He looked at the empty
room and fought the fear inside himself. He was stronger now and
far more skilled. The Varkans wouldn’t get the better of
him.

When the ship shifted to
full speed, he left the room and went to find his squadron. They
would leave the ship before it reached Varka Two, each squadron
entering the atmosphere in their own set of ships. There were three
for each squadron. He’d be in the one with Alessandro, Jericho,
Pietr and Ambra, as he always was.

He reached the cargo deck
and crossed it towards the dock where his ship waited. The window
of the airlock where his brother’s ship had been docked showed
nothing but empty space now. He would see his brother again. He had
no doubt about that.

Everyone was gathered at
the far end of the cargo bay, waiting for orders. He found Jericho
and Ambra in one corner.

“
How’s it
looking?” he said with a nod towards the captains. The six men were
closely huddled together, talking about something. They were
probably discussing tactics and information. One day he’d be a part
of that group. One day.

“
Like war, only
worse,” Jericho said and Ambra gave him a worried look. Jericho
grinned and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her up to him.
“Nothing to worry about, I won’t let the nasty Varkans anywhere
near you, sweets.”

She frowned and pushed him
off her. Remi wished they’d both get it over with and admit they
were in love. Their constant playful jesting and teasing made it
blindly obvious to everyone but them apparently. He noticed Ambra
glance at Jericho, her cheeks flushed. Jericho gave her a wide
grin.

Remi clenched his fists.
“I won’t let them near any of you.”

“
Those are
fighting words,” Jericho said and playfully punched him on the arm.
He winced when his shoulder grated. Jericho look worried now. “You
sure you’re up for this? Maybe you should get your nurse to check
you over one last time... real close like... an all over inspection
from her could send a soldier to his death a happy man.”