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Zorbluk’s head bobbed on his heavy neck. "You knew that, if the humans can cuff him."
Hultin started cackling. "I was told how it went down. Hey, Gugerol, you and Rendclaw show the new guys how you framed their old boss."
Gugerol coughed and a tusk appeared. "Excuse me."
Shock arced through me. The trader, now revealed as a Quarek, began to morph and shift. The one called Rendclaw copied him.
In disbelief, I watched as Rendclaw transformed into Klinn. The sight sent a chill down my spine as he began to mimic his mannerisms. "Well, well, look at me, the infamous Klinn Ustrar, running from the law." He ran in place, pretending to stumble. Laughter echoed through the room.
Then Gugerol morphed into my likeness. "Halt, alien thief."
Alien thief? Okay, he may have my voice down, but when have I ever said, halt?
Rendclaw-Turned-Fake-Klinn gasped and put his hands to his cheeks. "Oh, Detective Madison, you caught me. Don’t you just love being the hero, arresting innocent aliens?"
Hultin guffawed. "That’s hilarious but show ‘em how it really went down."
I stilled as I saw them recreate the moment of my arrest of Klinn. Rendclaw went through the motions of handcuffs.
Hultin clapped. "You did a good job impersonating the Ventivore on Earth."
"It was Riven’s idea." Rendclaw even smirked the way Klinn did. "I had a great run going to all the museums and standing in front of the cameras. Ustrar was nothing but a pawn." He shifted into his true Quarek self, tusks and all. "And he got played like a, what’s the word?"
"Fiddle, I think," said Gravix.
The Quareks’ voices echoed with derision and bad humor, their shape-shifting forms morphing with exaggerated gestures. Their taunts were salt in the wound, a reminder of the injustice inflicted upon Klinn.
By me.
The realization hit me like a meteor strike. He told me he was framed by Quareks and I didn’t believe him. A surge of anger made me set my teeth on edge. While these Quareks played their imitation games, Gravix and Zorbluk betrayed Klinn and twisted our lives to suit their agenda.
There was a tap on my back. I whipped around and came face to face with Klinn. He crouched on the ground behind me.
"Do you think my nose is really that big?" he whispered.
His self-deprecating smile was a welcome sight. Relief and remorse flooded my senses.
My defenses when right back up again when I heard the Quareks and their new help roaring with laughter. They performed another mock interpretation of my arrest of Klinn.
Zorbluk picked up a nearly empty bottle of rum and pounded it on the table. "There’s more ore in the other room to pack. Let’s go before Riven gets here."
The Quareks grudgingly returned to their true forms. Rendclaw grumbled. "Who resigned and made you Riven?"
Gravix scoffed. "It’s just because he’s tall."
They complied, anyway, and followed Zorbluk from the room, taking the ore they packed into the crates.
Klinn waited for them to exit before he spoke. "I looked in the other room. There’s a ton of xenite. They’ll be in there for a long minute."
I leaned towards him, feeling the link between us that had only gotten stronger since our physical connection. "I'm sorry. I should’ve considered what you said in the beginning about being impersonated by a Quarek."
He touched my bare shoulder, his eyes filled with understanding. "I can't blame you. It sounded too convenient, didn't it?"
I nodded, grateful for his forgiveness and ready to let the Wanderstar Fleet know our findings. "I have plans for my next move. What about you?"
"I’m going to follow the goons in the next room to see where they go. But first, I have to tease you a little for not trusting me."
I recognized the gleam in his eyes. My clit might as well have shot off sparks in response to their heat. "You’ve got to be joking. We don’t have time for teasing."
