by Frost Kay
Virgil held up his wrinkled hands dotted with fine sand-like scales. “Now, girlie, there’s no need for violence.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that? How many times did I give you advice on how to deal with your dragoness?”
“Many times. I was just doing—”
She held up her hand. “I don’t want to hear it. I helped you and you betrayed me, you wrinkly bastard.”
Allie paused and eyed the group who was watching the drama like it was the next best thing to chocolate. She swallowed down her anger. It was her first day here, and she’d already caused a scene. Her mama would’ve smacked her on the rump for her behavior.
She crossed her arms and met Virgil’s beady gaze. “How is the dragoness?” she offered with a fake smile. Manners above all else.
“She’s well, thank you,” Virgil answered.
Allie turned to Lev and hitched a thumb over her shoulder toward Virgil. “And what does he do? Other than lie and skulk about?”
Lev grinned. “He supplies us with information.”
“Fabulous,” she grumbled. Well, at least he wouldn’t be working with her in the lab. They didn’t have a need for a spy among her stills. Allie clasped her hands together and bounced on her toes, trying to dispel some of her nerves. “What’s next?”
“Let’s acquaint you with the lab.”
Lev nodded and strode toward the lab she’d spied earlier. Her neck prickled as she felt various sets of gazes on her. She forced herself not to squirm as she followed Lev. They were bound to be as curious about her as she was them.
She scoured the table covered with tools, vials, and organic matter of all kinds. The only things she recognized were needles, beakers, microscopes, and clamps. Everything else was a jumble of metal and glass. But at the end of the table lay her domain.
The brewery, aka poison station.
Lev halted and slapped the shiny still. “Welcome to your new job.”
“This isn’t my job,” she muttered. “This is a punishment.”
“Think of it as a way to express your creativity,” he said, a crooked smile on his face.
She sniggered. Creativity. What a joke. The only creativity she possessed when it came to brewing was the uncanny ability to mess it up and poison someone. The joke was on them.
Allie rounded the still, eyeing all the pieces. They’d thought of almost everything, from the mash pot to the fermentation bucket. The still was truly a thing of beauty, all shiny and new, but it was also completely wrong. She pursed her lips and crossed her arms while making a mental list of things she would need.
“What’s wrong with it?” Coal barked, startling her.
She shook her head and glanced between Coal and Lev. “It’s striking, but it’s wrong.”
Lev frowned. “We bought the best of everything.”
She rolled her eyes. “Well then, you got swindled.” She pointed to the silver drum. “Anyone with a lick of moonshine brewing experience would never tell you to use that drum. You need a copper one or the whiskey won’t turn out right.”
Lev blinked and tapped his wrist comm a few times. “Done. What else do you need?”
“The agitator isn’t powerful enough. You need a bigger one.”
“Okay, I have it on the list. Now all I need is your recipe.”
As if…
Allie spun on her heel and placed her hands on her hips. “My family’s moonshine recipe?”
Coal eyed her and then elbowed his brother in the ribs. Lev scowled at his brother, then looked in her direction, his brows coming together. “What?”
She smirked at him. “You couldn’t possibly believe I’d give you my family’s mash recipe?”
“No?” Lev drawled.
“No,” she said firmly. “I’ll give you a list of ingredients I can’t grab myself.” A wicked smile played across her mouth as she thought about her next request. “Your sugar, barley, and coal are rubbish. Contact the Guari, and they’ll sell you the good stuff.”
“The Guari?” Lev’s eyes widened. “Surely my ears are failing me.”
She cocked a hip and studied the nails of her right hand. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of Gesron and his crew?”
“You’re on a first-name basis with one of the most vicious mercenary crews in the galaxy?” Blade asked, one black brow arching as he approached.
She waved a hand, hiding her smug smile. “Gesron and his crew are lambs. Make sure to let them know Allie sent you and that I send my love. Also, tell him if he gives us a deal, I’ll make him my mama’s blueberry pie.”
Lev’s mouth bobbed but no words came out.
Good. For the first time since she’d met the Av Locks, she’d gotten the last word.
“The Human keeps dangerous company,” Blade said. “Intriguing.”
Allie glanced in his direction and winked. “You have no idea.”
2
Sexy Elves and Pointy Ears
“Any other requests before I send this?” Lev asked.
Allie leaned against a table and shook her head. “Not that I can think of. What else do you have planned for me tonight?”
“Get familiar with the lab and your teammates. We’ll take you home in an hour.”
“Don’t touch anything you’re not supposed to,” Coal added before striding away.
She scowled at his back and rolled her eyes. He was such a grump.
Allie glanced around the room. Who would she bother first? Everyone had dispersed to their own areas. Eve stood in the lab mashing some plants in what looked to be a mortar and pestle. Zune, the Kiterran, squinted at some papers, grumbling under his breath. Her gaze skipped to Blade reassembling a gun while the Kanji sat on a nearby table littered with weapons, speaking to Virgil. She swallowed hard. All the males seemed a little intimidating. Eve it was.
She pulled in a fortifying breath and approached the Av woman, stopping beside her work table. Meeting new people was always hard. “What are you working on?” she asked. There, she’d started the conversation.
Eve blinked at her through her round glasses, a look of surprise on her face. “Testing herbs,” she said simply.
This would be harder than she thought. Allie dug deeper. “What are you testing them for?”
“Each of these herbs hold a key to the truth serum.”
“How so?” Allie asked, edging closer to the herbs, a pungent smell teasing her nose.
“Each one holds a unique property that can alter the mind.”
A delicate hand touched Allie’s shoulder and pulled her back.
“Don’t get too close. I haven’t a clue how they will affect a Human body,” Eve warned. She pointed to a shiny purple leaf. “If you crush that leaf, it releases toxins that can alter memories in the brain.”
“Wow,” she breathed, both in awe and in fear. “That’s amazing!” She squinted at the plant. There were some embarrassing memories she’d love to have removed.
Eve stared at her for a beat before offering Allie a small smile. “I think so, too.”
“I’d love to learn more.” Plants were never her strong suit, but she liked them all the same.
“Well, I’m willing to teach you if you’d like,” Eve offered shyly.
“That would be fabulous! I don’t know much about Sars, so information on flora would be invaluable.” Allie eyed Eve’s project. “I’ll let you get back to your work, but thanks for explaining it...”
“No problem.”
Allie smiled and rounded the table with Zune in her sight. Her next victim.
The Kiterran was bent over a microscope, making the instrument look positively dainty in his giant hands. She stopped next to him, but he didn’t acknowledge her. Allie peeked at his project and cleared her throat. His golden eyes lifted from the microscope and met hers.
Everything she planned to say went right out of her head. “Hi,” she said lamely. Stupid nerves.
“Hello,” he drawled.
On
e word. Great. She could guess how this conversation would go. Well, you win some, you lose some. Time to try again. “What are you doing?”
“I’m studying how two substances react to each other.”
“That sounds cool.”
“It is,” he rumbled, still squinting at her face.
She coughed behind her hand and shifted on her feet. There was something about his gaze that made her nervous, like he was trying to read her mind.
He straightened and crossed his arms, an unreadable look crossing his face. “So, you’re my replacement.”
“What?” she asked stupidly. That was the last thing she’d expected him to say.
“I couldn’t successfully create a liquid to support the serum. Now you’re here to replace me.”
“That sounds like a difficult task for anyone,” she offered.
His eyes narrowed. Not the right thing to say, apparently.
“I can’t create anything,” Allie hurried on. “All I do is follow my family’s recipe. I would kill to do what you do. Not only is it science, but art.” She held her breath, hoping it would soothe some of his proverbial ruffled feathers.
Zune blinked slowly, and a small smile curled the edge of his mouth.
Gotcha. She smiled inwardly. It didn’t matter what race; males were alike in that way. They liked to be praised and respected for their hard work. One point for Allie.
“Do you want to see Eve’s organic matter attack my creation?”
“Sure!”
He gestured to the microscope. “Take a look.”
She scowled as her hair slid into her eyes when she leaned forward. Allie finger-combed her golden hair back and tied it into a messy bun at the nape of her head, then stepped up to the microscope. Red spiny spheres surged around the yellow liquid. As she stared in fascination, the yellow liquid seemed to disappear, leaving only red spheres.
“Holy bananas!” she gasped. “Those red things are fierce.”
When Zune didn’t answer, she lifted her head and glanced to the right. The Kiterran had shifted so close that his face almost touched her neck. Allie jerked back and rubbed at her neck, where his attention was currently pinned.
“Is there something wrong with my neck?” she joked.
“You have a warrior’s mark.”
Oh. Relief filled her. That’s what this was about. “Yes.”
“And you’re Human.”
“Yes,” she drew out. What’s the big deal?
“You are mated, then?” he questioned, curiosity blanketing his tone. “To a Kiterran?”
“No.” She laughed and gestured to her throat. “A close friend bestowed this upon me.”
Another blink. “You must be very brave.”
Allie shook her head. That was the furthest thing from the truth. “More like stupid.”
He eyed her. “That I doubt, Allie Sai.” Zune gave her a slow smile that completely transformed his face from cloudy to sunshine. “I’m glad to have you here.”
“Thank you.” Maybe things here wouldn’t be so bad.
“Don’t thank me for the truth.”
“I’ll remember that.” She hesitated for a moment, debating on asking her question.
He quirked a smile at her. “Ask your question.”
She gaped. “Are you reading my mind?”
“No, but your face is very expressive.”
“Next time I’m here,” she rushed out, “would you mind helping me with the moonshine? I could use another set of eyes and hands.” She held her breath as he mulled it over. She needed him to like her if they planned on working together.
“That would please me,” he replied.
“Good! It’s a plan.” Second point to Allie. Two aliens down, one to go. Her gaze darted to Blade, and Zune followed her gaze. “I’d better go say hello.”
“Prepare yourself,” he rumbled. “He’s not the friendliest of people.”
“Duly noted,” she muttered. Tall, dark, and scary didn’t really seem approachable.
Allie waved at Zune and spun on her heel. She blew out a breath as she strode out of the lab and to the weapons section of the humongous room, if you could call it a room. More like a warehouse. She skirted around the giant, black sparring pad, flicking a glance at the targets set up on the far wall. This room held a shooting range, too? How big was this place?
She shook her head and walked up to the table that held a number of springs, clips, barrels, and one deadly-looking Av who’d frozen at her approach. Carefully, she brushed a finger along a silver barrel, ignoring the male eyeing her, her nerves tingling. She plucked an extra rag and barrel from the table and began cleaning.
“What are you doing?”
“Helping,” is all she offered, keeping her eyes on the piece in her hand as a shiver worked through her. There was something about his voice … dangerous yet smooth. Like moonshine. The comparison made her smile.
“You should only touch a weapon if you intend to use it.”
“True enough,” Allie agreed. Little did he know about her family’s extracurricular activities.
Blade stared at her for a beat longer before turning his attention back to the chamber he’d been cleaning. She peeked at him from under her lashes, observing how each of his movements were quick and efficient. He was very comfortable with weapons. Allie squinted as he managed to get the particularly tricky part of the gun clean. Even she had a hard time with that, and his hands were double the size of hers.
“You’re very nimble for someone with huge hands,” she remarked while lifting the barrel she’d picked up. She closed one eye and squinted. Pristine, not one bit of residue. She blew onto the shiny metal, watching it fog up, and gave it one more swipe. Allie smiled as it practically blinded her with its shine.
She glanced over the barrel, noticing that Kale and Virgil had fallen silent. Her body locked up, and her heart picked up. All three men gazed at her with emotions ranging from mirth to annoyance, to surprise. Stars above, she was so tired of people looking at her like she was an exhibit in a zoo.
She rolled her eyes and placed the part down. “What?”
Kale’s pale purple eyes twinkled as he bounced his raven brows. “Nimble fingers, huh?”
She colored, wanting to crawl underneath the table. Sometimes she didn’t think before she spoke. The Kanji winked at her and smiled suggestively. Allie scowled at him and crossed her arms. “That’s not what I meant.”
Her attention switched to Blade, who didn’t so much as crack a smile.
“Well, you’re welcome to ask about my nimble fingers anytime,” Kale chortled.
“Shut up, Kale,” Virgil growled. “We all know you have tiny hands.”
She sniggered, her embarrassment easing. At least they had a sense of humor.
Blade flicked an annoyed glanced at the bickering males behind him and then turned back to his project, suitably ignoring her and everyone around him.
Oh no, he didn’t.
She didn’t give up that easily. Allie pushed her shoulders back and pasted on her most friendly smile. She’d make a friend out of him before she left. “What kind of weapon are you cleaning?”
His dark gaze flicked to her, then back to the part in his hands. “A stun gun.”
She barely managed to keep from snickering. Men. “I understand that, but what kind?”
“Human, do you really want to know?” he sighed, irritation evident as he placed the gun down.
“My name is Allie, and yes I do.”
“It’s the semi-automatic Oc 450 with dual capabilities.”
“Wow,” she breathed. She’d never shot one of those. They were military grade, and citizens couldn’t get their hands on them. “So, it can hold 450 shots, and it has both lethal and anti-lethal capabilities?”
Blade’s brows rose as he faced her, his onyx eyes roving over her. “Here I thought you were just a country bumpkin.”
“You don’t think I’ve ever used a weapon?” she asked. Ask me to shoot
it, just ask me.
A snort. “Oh, little Human. I think the only weapon you’ve ever wielded is your moonshine.”
Her breath whooshed out of her at the reminder. She didn’t truly believe her whiskey killed the Lock, but he was dead just the same. Allie pulled in a deep breath and forged on. “You’d be mistaken, then,” she replied, keeping her tone conversational. If he wanted to be an ass, that was on him, but she wouldn’t let him upset her.
“Really? Then show me what you’re made of, little Human.”
Allie met his obsidian eyes and held his gaze. Just barely. There was something disturbing about not being able to see his pupils. “Okay.”
He held out the gun to her.
She smiled brightly, satisfied when he blinked, and shook her head no. She'd choose her own weapon.
Carefully, she scanned the table of parts and plucked five pieces from it. In less than thirty seconds, she had a stun gun assembled and resting in her palm. She turned it over in her hand and an idea came to her. Time to needle the unflappable Av.
Allie held it out to Blade. “Care to try it?” she challenged.
He crossed his arms and tipped his head to the side as if considering her proposal. “If it’s not assembled right, it will sting.”
Sting was an understatement. It would hurt like a son of a gun. “And here I thought you were the adventurous one. The tough one.” Her grin was lazy as she eyed Blade. “I guess I made a mistake about you,” she goaded.
“I’ll be adventurous for you,” the Kanji piped up.
Allie smirked when Virgil smacked the Kanji on the head and grinned at her. He was still a traitor, but he was good for something. She held the gun out to Blade. “You and I both know it’s correctly assembled, so stop pussyfooting around.”
Blade’s brows drew together. “What is pussy-footing?” he enunciated woodenly. “There’s no translation.”
“It means procrastinating.” She sniggered when his expression hardened. “Tick tock.”
“Fine,” he growled.
He snatched the gun from her hand and spun in a move so smooth that Allie hardly registered it, until he cocked it and fired. She slapped her hands over her ears and watched wide-eyed as he hit dead center of all five targets. Dang, he was good.