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“Reeeaaallly…?” the eggplant-colored alien drawled. He walked around Zamush as if sizing him up. He stopped in front, crossing his arms. With a thin-lipped grimaced, he shook his head. “He looks nothing like an Akurn, does he, Abiditan?”
The male Akurn, Abiditan, stood next to the purple alien and mirrored his expression. “Most Adamou and their offspring don’t, Qhasheik. You know that.”
The canary-colored female joined their little group. “Do you have him under control, Jelena? He doesn’t look like much, but I’d hate for him to get loose and ruin all our plans.”
Jelena? Her name is Jelena. Wait, doesn’t look like much? What the fuck did that mean? He clenched his jaw to stop from flicking a burning spark at them to show who they were dealing with.
Jelena tsked. “Of course I do. I’m not an amateur, Katsuki. He came here without a problem, didn’t he?”
Katsuki humphed. “So you say.” Her blue-green pupilless eyes narrowed. “Think you can control him during our little voyage? And what’re you going to do with him once we get to Akurn? You know we don’t have time to find someone to babysit him.”
Jelena bounced from foot-to-foot. “That’s what so great by me grabbing him! Murduk is desperate to get one of her sons, so all we have to do is offer to trade him for Sychar! Isn’t that perfect?”
~Jelena~
Jelena stood still as a sour taste coated her mouth. Those last words made her grimace. She might not know this guy, but to callously offer him in a trade that could cost him his life wasn’t who she was. “I, wait. I didn’t mean... ah, I don’t think...”
“That’s right, you didn’t think.” Katsuki tapped a foot. “Taking some clueless, lonely guy with us is a lot different from incurring the wrath of one of the Royals. Let’s say we’re successful in switching this guy for Sychar and he ends up dead. How do you think Princess Inanna will look at us? Think she’ll gleefully help us once she takes the throne back?”
“Oh, but...”
Abiditan snorted. “Let’s look at it another way. Think of the time and bloodshed we’ll save if we do a quick exchange.”
“Maybe. But what if…”
“Yeah, and if we grab him before they lock him up, we’ll do a Criss Angel and disappear in the Nergal before they’d even know what happened.” Qhasheik petted the hull of the spaceship with a loving glance.
“Now hang on just a minute...”
Katsuki tapped a forefinger on her lips.
Jelena’s stomach dropped. That gesture was a sure sign the female contemplated something Jelena wouldn’t like.
“Well, one good thing about him coming with us, Jelena will snack on him so much he might not live long enough for us to worry about.”
Whoa. Since taking his blood, her uncontrollable bloodlust wasn’t there. Lately, even after taking enough blood in one feeding, Jelena craved more. For the first time in years, the persistent empty pit squeezing her stomach was gone. She glanced at the stoic man next to her. His face remained expressionless and his body loose. Hard to believe those few sips she took affected her like that. The memory of swallowing his rich, luscious blood made her heart pound. “Look, let’s not...”
“You know, if he’s one of Princess Inanna’s sons, don’t you think he’d want to work with us? Why not tell him what we’ve got planned and see if he wants to join us?” Qhasheik took the tool from his lignee, the extra limb protruding from his skull, and twirled the slim instrument between his fingers.
“Yes, that’s what...”
“I don’t know.” Abiditan rubbed his square chin between his forefinger and thumb, his mismatched eyes studying her prisoner. “We’re taking an awful risk...”
You going to let them talk over you like that? BoD whispered.
Crap! He had a point. “Now wait just a damn minute!” Jelena stomped her foot and crossed her arms. “You all be quiet and listen to what I have to say.”
The ring of utter silence caught her by surprise. Normally, they ignored her and treated her like the child she used to be. She glared at each one before she continued. “First, Katsuki, there’s no way that I’d lose control and kill him. Everybody just get that stupid idea out of your head right now. Second, if for any reason he gets out of control, I’ll use BoD to take care of him. You know I never miss when I aim it.” She patted her friend she’d harnessed behind her after they entered the hangar.
You know it. BoD confirmed.
She averted her gaze from her mentors. She’d never told them BoD was sentient. Not that she’d admit it now. She glanced at her um, prisoner. She might not want to offer him up as bait, but what choice did she have? Sychar had to be rescued, no matter the cost. Standing straight, she lifted her chin. “I’ll take responsibility for him. Even if I have to use my enthrallment to control him the whole way. He’ll be a help no matter what role we decide to use him for.”
She studied the guy. His dilated dual-colored eyes were unfocused, and he didn’t appear to be under any stress. She faced the others. “So, we good? Am I going with you or not?” Her hands tightened into fists under her crossed arms. “You know I’ll be a part of this one way or another.”
Katsuki threw her arms up with a loud huff.
Abiditan’s frown deepened.
