Baffle by Viola Grace Page A

as to her destiny. She was to learn how to fly a shuttle and to use her personality quirk as a weapon. It was a situation she had never imagined but embraced with everything in her.
    When no Hunter could pull the target out in one piece within a restricted time frame, they sent a specialist. Today, that specialist was Sinder, and she was on her way to crash a wedding.
    The idea of creeping through the bowels of the stone edifice did not appeal to Sinder, but she had little choice. She had to get the Hunter out of wherever they were keeping him and only then could she grab her true target and make a run for it.
    Lady Seekua had been taken from her home world of Del Cania, and Sinder had to make sure that Lord Darthian of Nalu was not going to formalize a union between their two worlds.
    In theory, melding the two worlds was delightfully romantic, but in reality, the people of Nalu were known to take possession of mineral and agriculturally rich worlds by any means necessary. The innate seduction of the species’ voices made the Nalu lovely and hypnotic to anyone susceptible to their speech. Personally, Sinder thought that they were butt ugly.
    She watched the guards pass under her vantage point and held her breath. The implanted mineral in the Hunter’s thigh was giving her a subtle signal, and so, she swung free of the ceiling and made her way to the area that her own implant was directing her to.
    Sinder walked with a calm and serene attitude. No furtive movements to draw attention. If she were caught, she would be able to simply claim that she had become separated from her friends in the confusion of the biological checks. The Nalu were on high-security alert for the wedding, but there would be no problem with her slipping in as an honoured guest.
    It was a bonus to being one of the more exotic, new species. She was welcome everywhere she went, and it made getting in easier, while escaping became more difficult. That was where her talent kicked in, and she used it to defend herself and her target.
    Sinder let the implant in her elbow lead her through the halls, and finally, it warmed, indicating that she was within twenty feet of the Hunter.
    It wasn’t a prison cell, merely a guestroom. The door handle opened easily in her grip. She paused and looked into the room where the Hunter in question was settling his formal garb.
    “Oh, please excuse me. I seem to have gotten turned around.”
    He smiled vaguely. “No problem. Would you like an escort to the ceremony?”
    Sinder put a relieved expression on her face. “That would be amazing. Are you a member of the bridal party?”
    He approached her and offered her his arm. “I am acting on behalf of the bride’s family. Please, come with me.”
    She took his arm and blushed, looking down. Her gown was elegant and appropriate for a Nalu wedding, black and red, lace and pleats. “Thank you.”
    “You seem familiar, have we met?”
    She smiled and shook her head. “I doubt it. I have been living quietly on Feliaki for the last few years.”
    “How did you come to be here?” His tone was light, but he was fishing for information, still a Hunter within his stupor.
    Sinder smiled, “I came with the party from Feliaki. Since my species is still classified as exotic, it added some cachet to their party. Unfortunately, I got separated while we were going through the bio scans and from there, I ended up here.”
    He chuckled. “I see. How is it that you have an Alliance tracking implant?”
    She blinked up at him. “A what?”
    “The implant that tells me you are an Alliance member.”
    She snorted as they approached the groups of guests. “Oh, that. I used to be the assistant to a Nyal Ambassador. I was tagged to keep me from being held hostage, or at least to help them find my body.”
    He smiled down at her, “That must have been trying.”
    She snickered. “You have no idea. My kind goes into breeding availability every twenty-eight days. Try working with a Nyal