Moonbeams and magic by Janelle Taylor Page B

confident stride. She stood entranced by his very presence, until Radu halted him for a brief word. As soon as their visual bond was severed and other thoughts invaded her mind, the strong and magical spell was broken and she became clearheaded. She scolded herself for being susceptible to Dagan's abundant charms. From now on, she reminded herself, he was one of her enemies; he must be viewed and treated as such, used in any way necessary to ensure the success of her mission. She took a swallow of her drink and did not look in his direction again.
    Dagan sat down adjacent to her instead of across the small table. He was cognizant of her change in mood. There was no doubt in his mind that Starla had been excited and pleased to see him but had withdrawn into herself when Radu intruded on their spiritual connection. Now that he was acquainted with her troubled history, that reaction was understandable. He glanced up and thanked Radu for a drink the man delivered, compliments of Tochar, as was anything Dagan ordered tonight on either level of the Skull's Den. He ignored the beverage to ask, "How long have you been here?"
    Starla was alert and calm by that time; yet, strange sensations of sadness and weariness plagued her. "For a while."
    "Were you worried about me?"
    Starla leaned back and toward the right side of her chair to put more distance between them. "No, why would I be?" She watched him grin.
    "Because you knew what I was facing. Too bad you couldn't warn me."
    "Was a warning needed? Would it have changed anything?"
    He chuckled. "If I wasn't who and what I claimed to be.

    I could have gotten out of Tochara before I was exposed and slain."
    "There's no place you can hide from Tochar's reach and wrath."
    "You didn't think I would pass scrutiny, did you?"
    She looked him straight in the eye and admitted, "No."
    Dagan was pleased by her honesty and her skepticism about his bad character, despite a criminal record and shady reputation. Yet, he sensed disappointment that her assessment of him had been proven wrong. "Why not? You passed interrogation when Thorin flowed in your veins."
    Unlike with you, his truth serum had no effect on me. "You struck me as being your own man, a loner, self-reliant, a leader, not a follower."
    "Do taking orders from Tochar and being loyal to the man who hires me prevent me from having those traits?"
    "Does it?"
    "Not in your case, nor in mine; we're still independent and self-reliant loners, but we bend and bond when we must. Under the grim circumstances, I have to work for him to get what I want and need." Dagan grinned to release their tensions and teased in a husky voice, "Unless you want to lure me away with a better offer."
    Starla did not smile. "How would I accomplish that enormous feat?"
    "You have the Liska; we could travel as parmers, keep all we steal." Access to your ship would give me a means of quick escape if needed and would provide the opportunity for private communication out of the Free-Zone. But that could imperil you if I used them, used you for my needs, which might become necessary if matters change.
    Starla wondered why Dagan was studying her so strangely. "Why would I forfeit Tochar's generosity and sanctuary to take risks with you? Besides, he would track us and slay us for committing such treachery. As with me, since you're alive, that means you told the truth about being loyal to him,

    so you're only teasing me. It also means you're part of our special unit."
    Stars afire, woman, you're quick, clever, and captivating! To throw her off balance, he grinned and murmured, "Was I teasing?" Starla didn't smile or reply, so he hinted, "No congratulations? No welcome aboard? No glad you survived?"
    Once more, Starla had the impression that Dagan Latu was a cunning and complex male. If she didn't know any better, she would think he had deluded Tochar. It worried her that she could not depend upon her normally keen instincts and gift for good judgment with him. She took a