Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Scent of Magic Copyright?2004 Jeanine Berry ISBN: 1-55410-154-9 Cover art and design by Martine Jardin All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Published by eXtasy Books, a division of Zumaya Publications, 2004 Look for us online at: www.zumayapublications.com www.Extasybooks.com Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html Chapter One "Five hundred credits," the man behind the counter of Spaceship Supply Inc. said without blinking. "Five hundred. That's outrageous!" Angela Bennett, captain of the Hawk's Flight, eyed the piece of silver metal clutched in the man's grimy fingers. It was a navigational system component, and no bigger than the palm of his hand, but without it her ship would not fly. The man shrugged, not bothering to hide the contemptuous look on his face. Ange straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. So what if her patched jacket and worn boots proclaimed her depleted credit? She was a legitimate customer, and despite its grandiose name, his shop was little more than a hole in the wall in a seedy part of town. Finding replacement parts for a spaceship as old as Hawk's Flight was not an easy task. Ange had spent half a day tracking down this part. "You don't want it, I put it back. Make up your mind. It's closing time." "All right. I'll take it." With a sigh, Ange waved her hand over the laser reader embedded in the counter. She held her breath while the computer read her universal ID and checked her account. The balance hovered dangerously close to negative numbers. To her relief, the system beeped its approval. Her off-world bills must not have posted yet. The clerk shoved the component at her, not even bothering with a bag. She slipped it inside her tunic as she headed for the door. Outside, darkness enveloped Parme, the capital city of Tau Delta. Ange cast a watchful glance up and down the street as she started toward the spaceport, three blocks away. It hadn't seemed so far when she'd walked to the store in bright daylight, glad of a chance to bask in the warmth of a sun after almost a standard year in space. But nightfall brought a sinister look to the streets with their rows of shabby shops and barred doors. The handful of people who passed her on the sidewalk kept moving and avoided eye contact. That was fine with her. As always, she was careful to keep her distance from any passersby. The night deepened and Ange quickened her pace, glad her business in Parme was done. With any luck, someone would hire her ship soon and she'd be back in space where she belonged. Where she was safe. Ahead, the bright lights of the spaceport illuminated the sky. A high fence and gate marked the entrance. Breathing a sigh of relief, she hurried across the street and held up her palm for the guard to read her ID. He waved her inside and she headed across the endless stretch of concrete to where Hawk's Flight waited. A smile curved her lips at the sight of her ship. Hawk was old and worn, its curved surface pitted by space debris, but it was hers--well, hers and her creditors. She shook off her worries about her mounting debt. So far, she'd met her expenses by building a reputation for speed. She achieved that by taking risks and flying through the dangerous Abandoned Zone. It didn't bother her. She was only gambling with herself and her android, Jake. Besides, it wasn't as if anyone cared if she lived or died. She lived her life alone. She had to, to stay sane. It hadn't been easy. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html She had a foot on the ramp that led up to her cargo bay door when a voice stopped her. "Hey, cap'n, need any more work done?" Surprised, she whirled around. A man sauntered out of the shadow of her ship, his big shoulders blocking the distant spotlights along the fence as he approached her. She recognized the burly form with the unkempt clothes and uncombed hair. Sean. That was the name he'd given her. He was one of the workers who hung around the docks looking for temporary employment with any ship that came in. She'd hired him earlier in the day to help unload her cargo. As he stepped closer, Ange stiffened with alarm. She recognized the look in his eye, a look of obsession. Her heart sank. She'd been so careful to keep a safe distance from the men while the ship was unloaded. She'd sent Jake to do most of the supervision, only appearing when she had to settle some question the android wasn't equipped to answer. She was certain she'd stayed far enough away. Was her scent getting stronger? The thought that even distance couldn't guarantee her safety disturbed her. Lately she'd noticed that some men seemed to succumb to her seductive fragrance more easily than others. Human contact was always iffy. She balanced on the balls of her feet, ready to run into the Hawk. It wouldn't do to let him get too close. She knew from bitter experience how dangerous that could be. But showing fear made it worse. She shook her head. "Sorry. The ship's empty and I don't have any new cargo to load yet." She turned back to the ramp, determined not to panic. The door seemed far away. "Wait, cap'n." His voice took on an urgent tone. He lunged out and grabbed her elbow. Pain shot up her arm as he yanked her off the ramp. She stumbled and collided with his chest. His hot, rancid breath scorched her face. His arm went around her waist, imprisoning her. "You're one fine woman. Say you got something for an old space hand." "I told you, I don't need any help. Hawk is a one-woman ship." Her stomach lurching in disgust, she pressed her hands to his chest and pushed, but his bruising grip on her elbow held firm. "Let me go," she snapped in her best command voice. "Or I'll scream for the guards." "The guards are a long ways away, cap'n." Sean leered at her, showing a row of dirty teeth. His eyes were bright. Too bright. They glittered with a kind of madness. His fingers bruised her arm and he leaned closer, breathing hard. Ange's heart constricted with fear. She'd lived this nightmare too many times. Men, crazed with lust, driven wild by her scent. Each attack burned in her memory. She gagged as the reek of stale beer enveloped her. Sean sniffed at her hair. "You smell like heaven," he whispered. His eyes glazed with desire. Just like all the other times. She knew what came next. Sean's dirty hand pawed at the front of her jacket. Anger flooded through her, giving her strength. "No!" she shouted and kneed him in the groin with one swift, vicious move. He grunted and doubled over but held on to her despite her desperate lunge away from him. "Damn you!" he wheezed. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html Her kick went wild as Sean pulled her off balance. She screamed for help. "Shut up!" he shouted and slapped her hard across the face. The sound of the blow echoed across the open field. She staggered and he yanked her into the shadows under the ramp. "Think you're too good for the likes of me, do you? Think you can go around smelling like a bitch in heat and get away with it. I'll show you." Growling like an animal, he pushed her down on the hard concrete and pinned her under his weight. "Stop it!" She tried to jerk her hands free, her nails ready to rake his face, but he was strong. Her head ached and her cheek throbbed, but the fear was the worst--the fear that what had happened before would happen again. The first time she'd been thirteen. It had been the week she became a woman, the week of her first period. Some initiation. A grim determination coursed through her. She wouldn't be a victim again. Not this time. She fought to roll out from under him, but he backhanded her across her other cheek. "No, you don't. You're not getting away from me." His maniacal laughter ripped apart the silence of the night. He pinned her down with his weight and leaned over her. She twisted her head to avoid his clumsy attempt at a kiss and saw a bright light sweep across the concrete. "Stop!" She got one hand free and tried to beat him off with her fist. He ignored her feeble pounding. "Oh, baby, don't fight me. You're gonna like it." Sean crooned. His eyes were glazed and he looked oblivious to anything but his attempts to steal a kiss. Ange caught the low hum of a mo...
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