Voidhawk - Lost Soul by Jason Halstead Page B

how you should act other than that. And I won’t. “
    “Dex, she needs you,” Jenna said.
    Dexter’s head snapped around to his wife. “You the same woman that was jealous a few years back?”
    His wife shrugged away the accusation. “Yes, I was, but I know better now. I know you better, and I know Keshira. She’s naïve but she’s also my friend. I care for her, and I want her to be safe. She needs you to tell her what she must do. Even if she’s not bonded to you, she’ll do anything for you.”
    Keshira nodded. “I can’t do anything else.”
    Dexter cursed the wizard that had created Keshira. She was a beautiful and a wonderful woman, but denying her of the ability to choose her own destiny was the greatest crime a man could commit. Greater even then stealing his daughter’s soul , and that one had earned a death sentence.
    “All right, then take what I’m saying as my command, ‘Shira. I want you to pursue what makes you happy. Figure out what fills you up and takes away the loneliness, then do it. Maybe you ain’t so good at figuring out what to do, but once you’ve got something in your pretty head you’re plenty good at figuring out how to do it.”
    Keshira nodded, a faint smile coming to her face. “Thank you, sir. And thank you, Empress. I want to make you happy, any way I can. If that means finding something else that makes me happy as well, then I will do it.”
    Jenna gave the tall woman a hug on her way out, then she turned to face Dexter. “Dex…”
    “Gods, woman. I’m tired,” Dexter moaned.
    Jenna took his hand and pulled him out of his chair. She clung to him tightly until he started to sway with exhaustion. “You need rest, and then we’ll talk,” she promised. “I don’t always understand the way you do things or the why behind it, but it seems to work out pretty good most of the time.”
    “Only most?”
    She guided him to the bed and sat him down on the edge of it. She gave him a kiss before helping him pull his clothing off. “If you trust Celia, I’ll accept that. I did terrible by her and I need to make it up to her, I’m just not sure how.”
    “You’ll figure it out,” Dexter mumbled.
    Jenna smiled and ran her fingers through Dexter’s hair. “Too bad you’re so tired, I was going to offer to help you sleep.”
    Dexter groaned. With their schedules and jobs, intimate moments between them had been few and far between. He had to hire some more crew. Tasha was acting arms mistress, but she’d made a fine second mate.
    Jenna gave him a lingering kiss as he started to drift away into a far more comfortable darkness than the last one he’d endured. “Rest well, my love. Jia’s not the only one that needs you.”
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 6
 
    Dexter sat in the chair next to Jianna’s bed but his thoughts led him elsewhere. He tried to relive every memory he had since taking possession of the Voidhawk. In particular he dredged up the earliest days, when he and Kragor had been rebuilding the ship in between his time spent pretending to work for the Federation.
    His concentration was shattered by Keshira’s voice. “Where’s the Captain?” she asked, her voice sounding irritated. Dexter smiled at the emotion. He didn’t enjoy irritating beautiful and powerful women—usually—but in this case it meant Keshira was functioning intellectually and emotionally on her own.
    “I’m in here,” Dexter called out loud enough to carry through the door. He winced and turned to look at the small form of his daughter, then frowned. If only a loud voice was all he needed to wake her.
    Keshira opened the door without hesitation or knocking. “Captain, I heard about your experience. I believe I know who is responsible.”
    “Dex!”
    Dexter watched Jenna go storming past the door towards the bridge. She stopped, having caught sight of them out of the corner of her eye, and glared up at the taller pleasure golem. “Free or not, don’t you ever leave your post like