Knightmaster by Anna Hackett

Author:Anna Hackett [Hackett, Anna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-03-15T16:00:00+00:00

Well, Ashtin hadn’t lied. Kravaa III was rough, seedy…and also awesome.

Everywhere Kennedy looked, there was something interesting to look at, and she was busy trying to absorb it all.

The buildings were tall, spearing into the darkening sky. It was late afternoon, but the height of the buildings left the streets in shadow. Lights blinked and glowed and glittered everywhere. Neon-pink signs blinked over shops, blue-neon advertisements offered everything an unscrupulous shopper could want, and golden lanterns were strung across the streets. Garish awnings covered shop fronts, and high overhead, covered walkways spanned the air between buildings, and aerial transport zipped across the sky like migrating bats.

No stars shone in the murky sky. The pollution here was off the charts. Ashtin had given her a booster shot before they’d left the ship to help her lungs combat some of the air pollutants.

Poor Beep was missing out. Her drone had been very displeased to be once again confined to the ship at the nearby spaceport.

Ashtin was tense. She could feel it pumping off him. They were both wearing hooded robes. He’d wanted them to lay low and blend in.

They walked past a woman pulling a screaming child behind her. Two huge aliens of a species Kennedy didn’t know crossed by them, their conversation consisting of grunts and growls. She could smell cooking meat. A man and a woman were manning portable grills on the footpath, yelling at each other in the good-natured way of old friends.

Her parents would’ve loved this place.

Kennedy breathed in. Beneath the roasting food, there was also the undertone of grit and decay. There were side alleys with no bright lights, and shadows moving in the darkness. Her senses were in danger of becoming overwhelmed.

She needed to focus on their mission. “So, who’s this contact we’re going to see?”

Ashtin scanned the street, then looked at her. “Boost. He’s a broker. He buys and sells anything, but mostly information.” Ashtin scowled. “He’s about as trustworthy as a ravenous dargor beside a banquet table.”

She made a mental note to look up a dargor later. “I’m guessing honorable knights don’t like dealing with dishonorable scum.”

“Correct.” He sighed. “But finding Carys and Sten is more important. I’ll do whatever needs to be done.”

She touched his arm. “You’re not doing it alone.”

“I know.” His voice was low, intimate.

She felt a shiver inside. God, it would be really dumb to fall for this Oronis knight. She would never, ever be the most important thing to him, always coming second to his duty. She pushed the thought away, turning her attention back to the multitude of sights around them.

“I wonder how Kaden and Nea are doing on the Helios?” she asked.

“I trust they’ll do everything they can to follow that stealth trail.”

“If they don’t kill each other first. I got the impression they didn’t like each other much.”

“We all trained together as young knights. Those two always fought. Kaden loved to poke at Nea, and she invariably reacted.” Ashtin glanced at her. “But they are both loyal and dedicated.

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