frustration. They had less than a quarter of a standard hour before the lock gave out. She’d hoped to spend that being seriously naked with Daned. The cold of the metal at her spine ran goose bumps over her skin. Not the same as Daned’s talented mouth. Not the same at all.
He flexed his fingers around her gun’s grip. “Now, or I set this Sel-9 to full charge and obliterate the bunk.”
The clinks stopped.
“I’ll give you a three count.” He paused. “Three. Two—”
The side of the bunk clanked to the floor and Aleph-Nun rolled out.
Chae blinked and a disbelieving curse shot through her thoughts. What the fuck was Aleph doing under her bed? Her heart tightened. It wasn’t Aleph. Her friend had a scar running down his right ear from the blade of a dissatisfied customer three years before. This Nun-Samekh looked fresh. They’d grown a pod-brother under her bed?
Her stomach turned over. Angered, she jerked up from the floor. Her friend was trying to stiff her over money? Hell, had he lied about her ship to get her on this piece of tau junk? Did he think—know—she had more black crystal hidden? “You’re fresh-grown. They planted a pod—what?—to steal my crappy bit of crystal?”
The stranger sat up, her crystal tight in his clawed hand. “You know nothing.” He glared at Daned, anger sparking in his gaze. “And you’re not just a toy.”
“No.” His shoulders straightened. “Ara-Ladaian security.”
The Samekh’s lips pressed together around his mouth plates. “Chance caught us,” he muttered. “Aleph knew her sexual routine, tagged her and the flesh she bought—”
“What?” Chae resisted the urge to grab her gun from Daned and puree the Samekh’s internal organs. “He tagged me? How?” She let out a groan. “The ambrosia roots.”
“You’re Ladaian.” His gaze slid to her and his thumb rubbed over her crystal, his claw clicking against its polished surface. “Every one of you living beyond the ten planets is watched. The Enan Family pay us well.”
“Hand that over.” Daned snapped his fingers at the sliver. “Now.”
“This?” The Samekh held it up the crystal, turning it so that it caught the spot of light. “I’m afraid you can’t have this back.”
“Now that’s where you’re wrong.” Daned fired, the burst of hot light blazing over the Samekh’s forearm. It should have cut through, sliced into the heavy bone. It didn’t.
He patted the singed fabric of his sleeve, his fingers coming away bloody. Daned upped the charge and fired again. The Samekh simply laughed. “I am Resh-Nun.”
“Resh.” Chae swore and wiped a hand over her mouth. They were so screwed.
Daned flicked a glance at her. “What?”
“Resh is the name given to the final pod-brother. The one who absorbs the pod in which they’re born. It creates an armor over their skin. That—” she waved her hand at her gun, “—won’t even graze him.”
Resh inclined his head toward her, a gesture so reminiscent of Aleph her gut twisted. Her friend had played her from the beginning? She ignored the sour anger rising up from her stomach. Deal with the threat. Then she could mope and be pissed off.
“You were listening when Aleph talked of our race.”
“I’m very observant. I just like my impression of not giving a shit.”
He grinned, his baleen plate gleaming. “Ah, maybe Aleph underestimated you.”
“Story of my life.” She pushed her tangled hair from her face. “So what happens now? Why were you under that bed?” She gave him a hard smile. “The Samekh have no interest in being voyeurs.”
He held up the crystal and a fresh smile curved his thin lips. “I came for this.”
Chae’s smile faded and her brow tightened as realization hit her. “The Enan didn’t pay for Shavgar-7.”
“The Charag orchestrated that little attempt. They knew of this ship.” Resh shook his head. “We knew you would never fall for it.” He pulled in a noisy breath. “And once the
He flexed his fingers around her gun’s grip. “Now, or I set this Sel-9 to full charge and obliterate the bunk.”
The clinks stopped.
“I’ll give you a three count.” He paused. “Three. Two—”
The side of the bunk clanked to the floor and Aleph-Nun rolled out.
Chae blinked and a disbelieving curse shot through her thoughts. What the fuck was Aleph doing under her bed? Her heart tightened. It wasn’t Aleph. Her friend had a scar running down his right ear from the blade of a dissatisfied customer three years before. This Nun-Samekh looked fresh. They’d grown a pod-brother under her bed?
Her stomach turned over. Angered, she jerked up from the floor. Her friend was trying to stiff her over money? Hell, had he lied about her ship to get her on this piece of tau junk? Did he think—know—she had more black crystal hidden? “You’re fresh-grown. They planted a pod—what?—to steal my crappy bit of crystal?”
The stranger sat up, her crystal tight in his clawed hand. “You know nothing.” He glared at Daned, anger sparking in his gaze. “And you’re not just a toy.”
“No.” His shoulders straightened. “Ara-Ladaian security.”
The Samekh’s lips pressed together around his mouth plates. “Chance caught us,” he muttered. “Aleph knew her sexual routine, tagged her and the flesh she bought—”
“What?” Chae resisted the urge to grab her gun from Daned and puree the Samekh’s internal organs. “He tagged me? How?” She let out a groan. “The ambrosia roots.”
“You’re Ladaian.” His gaze slid to her and his thumb rubbed over her crystal, his claw clicking against its polished surface. “Every one of you living beyond the ten planets is watched. The Enan Family pay us well.”
“Hand that over.” Daned snapped his fingers at the sliver. “Now.”
“This?” The Samekh held it up the crystal, turning it so that it caught the spot of light. “I’m afraid you can’t have this back.”
“Now that’s where you’re wrong.” Daned fired, the burst of hot light blazing over the Samekh’s forearm. It should have cut through, sliced into the heavy bone. It didn’t.
He patted the singed fabric of his sleeve, his fingers coming away bloody. Daned upped the charge and fired again. The Samekh simply laughed. “I am Resh-Nun.”
“Resh.” Chae swore and wiped a hand over her mouth. They were so screwed.
Daned flicked a glance at her. “What?”
“Resh is the name given to the final pod-brother. The one who absorbs the pod in which they’re born. It creates an armor over their skin. That—” she waved her hand at her gun, “—won’t even graze him.”
Resh inclined his head toward her, a gesture so reminiscent of Aleph her gut twisted. Her friend had played her from the beginning? She ignored the sour anger rising up from her stomach. Deal with the threat. Then she could mope and be pissed off.
“You were listening when Aleph talked of our race.”
“I’m very observant. I just like my impression of not giving a shit.”
He grinned, his baleen plate gleaming. “Ah, maybe Aleph underestimated you.”
“Story of my life.” She pushed her tangled hair from her face. “So what happens now? Why were you under that bed?” She gave him a hard smile. “The Samekh have no interest in being voyeurs.”
He held up the crystal and a fresh smile curved his thin lips. “I came for this.”
Chae’s smile faded and her brow tightened as realization hit her. “The Enan didn’t pay for Shavgar-7.”
“The Charag orchestrated that little attempt. They knew of this ship.” Resh shook his head. “We knew you would never fall for it.” He pulled in a noisy breath. “And once the
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