Page 37

“Do you know what the pirate said?” I whispered.

Xaixek was silent for a moment. “Mak.”

“What was it?” I asked, holding my breath, and praying for a response.

Without looking at me, imbedded in his work, Xaixek answered. “They were tracking precious metals on the planet for their commander. After that, the dust storm brought them down shortly after takeoff. They were collecting and tracking their stuff from the wreckage. You were right. These are invisibility cloaks.” He picked up a cloak with the sharp end of axe, examined it and then threw it back tot he groaned.

“Precious metals, you say?” A deep agony gnawed at my gut.

Xaixek looked at me with such tremendous grief in his eyes that made my heart ache down to my soul.

“My uncle Roult was a metalworker…”

“Of course he was, but…oh.”

“They came to rob him in undetectable cloaks. That’s why my uncle is dead. In the end, he chose his passion—his work—over everything else. I saw it. When I plunged my fist into the pirate’s heart, I saw when my uncle refused to reveal the location of his most precious stones.”

I sighed, and swallowed down my sorrow. “Of course, he would have refused. He loved his job.”

Xaixek leaned his cheek against the top of my head, pressing his mouth to my hair and kissing me there. I knew he was only trying to hide his pain from me. I wrapped my arm around his torso.

“His memories aren’t lost, I promise. He once told me that if my new mate ever allowed me to work that I should chose metals. He told me that it pays better than bounty hunting.”

We chuckled.

Xaixek and I parted and he pointed down at the pirate. “I don’t know. This one’s head should be worth a fortune.”

“Let’s drag him to hell then where he shall be judged.”