Sweet Starfire

done much for Overcash. Once the dracons sensed blood, nothing on this planet could have stopped them.”

    “He was going to shoot me. I heard him say a little blood would get things over more quickly.”
    “He was right.”
    “You killed him to stop him from shooting me,” she said into his damp shirt. She wasn’t certain which stunned her more, Severance’s killing Overcash or Overcash’s willingness to kill her. Cidra felt dazed.
    Severance hesitated. “I would have shot him even if he hadn’t been trying to wound you. I needed something to feed the dracons. In another minute or two they would have decided you were prey, after all.”
    “Oh.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say.
    “I would have preferred feeding Racer to the river, but I couldn’t get a clear shot at him. Overcash was in the way.”
    The awful thrashing sounds died away. Slowly, still afraid to turn and look toward the river, Cidra lifted her head. She realized that she was leaning heavily on Severance, seeking strength in him. “It’s over,” she whispered.
    “No,” he answered, gently freeing her to look down into her stricken face, “it’s just beginning. Why did you jump overboard, Cidra?”
    “I had no choice. I couldn’t go with him.”
    “There was a chance he would have believed you really are a Harmonic, and a chance he would have let you go eventually if you’d given him your promise to keep quiet.”
    “Which I would never have done, so there’s no point discussing it, is there?”
    “Cidra…”
    “Stop it, Severance.” She pushed away from him, still looking anywhere but at the river. “I could not go with him, and that’s all there is to it.”
    He touched her cheek, his finger rough on her wet skin. “You would have survived rape, Cidra. I’m not so sure about the jungle.”
    A sudden, fierce rage welled up in her. “I would not have survived rape. He would have had to kill me before he succeeded in raping me. Haven’t you ever heard of death before dishonor?”
    Severance looked at her. “Not lately.”
    “It would have been utterly degrading for me to have submitted to that man in exchange for my life after he’d left you to die. And it would have been equally dishonorable to have given him my promise not to tell the company authorities what had happened.”
    “That’s a little extreme under the circumstances.”
    “I work for you, Teague Severance. Have you forgotten our contract? I have sworn my loyalty to the firm of Severance Pay, Ltd. It would have been a breach of that act to have let Racer use me. He only wanted to add to your suffering, you know,” Cidra explained, lowering her voice. “And it would have bothered you greatly. Not because I was your lover but because you feel responsible for me. Racer didn’t seem to understand that I am merely your employee.”
    “Lately I’ve had trouble understanding that myself.” Severance reached out and wrapped his palms around the nape of Cidra’s neck. He pulled her close and kissed her with a quick roughness that betrayed the tension he had hidden so well all morning. “Sweet Harmony in hell, Cidra Rainforest. I’ve never been so scared in my life as I was when I saw that dracon eyeing you. Don’t ever, ever do that to me again.”
    She smiled mistily as he freed her. “I’ll make a note not to go swimming in the near future.”
    He stared down at her for another long moment, as if he wanted to say more. Instead he released her and turned toward the tent. “I guess I’d better get moving.”
    Surprised, she stepped after him. “What are we going to do?” A sloshing sound reminded her of her wet boots. Gingerly Cidra sat down on the charred ground and removed them, shaking out the river water.
    “I’m going after Racer.” He spoke from inside the tent.
    “Going after him? But, Severance, he’s got a skimmer. He’s long gone.”
    “He’s got a skimmer that’s in trouble, although he may not realize it yet. It’s going to take a while for the fuel cells to start losing power.” Severance reappeared outside the tent carrying his travel pack. He put it down on the ground, crouched beside it, and began going through the contents.
    Cidra watched him. “Why should the fuel cells fail on his skimmer?”
    “After I shot Overcash, Racer ducked into the cabin. I had a clear view of the engine section of the skimmer. And I got in a couple more shots. One cell was glowing yellow when the skimmer took off up the