Read Lovers of the Galaxy: Book Three: Raiders of the Lost Heart for Free Online Page B

released into the air if we burned anything around
here.”
    Nodding, Jaxxon made a list on a clear scanner he
took from his tool belt while she walked around the fireplace,
studying the wall itself. Venus turned and placed her hands on her
hips. “If I’m not mistaken, that wall faces the trees in the yard,
so maybe a window of some kind in its place? I remember seeing a
window once with a seat inside it. I can’t remember what they’re
called, but the window would push out away from the house.” She
kneeled on the wooden floor, drew a picture in the dust, and then
showed her men.
    “The computer say’s it is called a bay window.”
Volund frowned. “I don’t like the fact that Bone Eaters will be
able to see us moving around in here with a window like that.”
    Jaxxon glanced around the house and smiled. “We could
use a transparent window. We will want to fortify it, even behind
the wall. This will still be a less defensible position than the
bank, at least until more of our people arrive. We can make one
that’s one-way glass, for privacy. We should also cover our windows
with Pentor.”
    She rose with Volund’s help. “What is Pentor? I like
the idea of the one-way glass. That would work well.”
    “Pentor is a clear liquid that will cover any form.
It is organic, but it is also very strong. None of your bullets
would penetrate it. Even our weapons would not do it any damage.
Its main drawback is that it can only cover a small area like a
window, or maybe a little larger.”
    Leading her into the next chamber, Volund swept his
hand toward a fancy dining room. Oak paneling covered the walls. In
the corner, a shelf full of dusty antique dishes. Venus picked up
one of the cups. She dusted off the dirt and looked at the odd
pattern. The image of her mother showing her one such pattern on
the computer flashed into her head. This particular pattern had
been one of her mom’s favorites.
    “Mary Antique,” she whispered and sighed.
    Volund’s words brought her attention back to the
matter at hand.
    “I don’t know how much of it we brought either,” he
was saying to Jaxxon. “We might want to see if Badden brought any
when they came. He glanced at her. “Did you say something?”
    She smiled as she put back the cup she held. “I’d
like to keep these dishes and the rustic look in here if we
can.”
    Even for a huge warrior, Volund moved with grace to
stand in front of her as his brother kissed the back of her neck.
“Something made you smile when you were admiring the dishes,” he
said.
    She rubbed her stomach. “I was thinking of my mom.
She would have loved watching me grow big with her
grandchildren.”
    Her mates held her, their worry for her constant,
each of them protective of her and their unborn children.
    “Are you going tell us about it?” Volund encouraged
her, lifting her chin with one finger.
    “One day I’ll tell you both all about my mom and dad,
but now we have a job to do and I want to get this done before we
have to go back today.
    She pushed open the door connecting the dining room
to the kitchen. The smell of age and dust greeted her. Cupboard
doors hung by rusty hinges, the screws having fallen out long ago.
A small table sat broken in one corner. The oven door was gone, it
had been ripped off its hinges, and lichen covered the inside of
it.
    Venus ran her hand over the fridge while she
inspected it. It seemed to be in good shape. Slowly, she opened it,
but the stench immediately hit her. “Damn, I knew I shouldn’t have
done that.” She slammed it shut and waved her hand in front of her
face.
    “Okay, need to clean that out, because we will use
it, and I’m afraid one of you is going to have to do it…” She
didn’t get another word out as she ran for the dish filled kitchen
sink, losing all she’d eaten that morning.
    Large bugs crawled out of the debris-covered dishes
and ran toward the new organic material which only made Venus’
stomach heave once more. Jaxxon