Renegade Magic (Star Renegades Book 1)

by Jennifer M. Eaton

  Glenn leaned back. “I won my trade goods in a poker game, so I’m not losing any money at all. To be honest, I’m pretty happy to be rid of this stuff. It’s a bear to store, and there’s always the worry of a blasted enforcer showing up with a good nose sniffing me out.”

  That, Cal could understand. Some cargos were a lot harder to hide than others. “Okay, let’s see the goods, then.”

  Glenn pressed a button hidden on the back of his desk, and a metal case hovered toward them. “As I stated, I have thirty cases just like this. All identical. If you don’t trust me, you can have your people go through them.”

  Ty opened the case, and the smell of citrus filled the room. Cal’s mouth watered as Ty picked up a large, round orange.

  Dania growled from behind them. “Trading consumables, especially citrus, outside the main food stores is illegal. That fruit is probably stolen.”

  Glenn chortled, holding his belly. “Your prisoner better watch it, or she’ll be in for worse than whatever you’re sending her to.” He narrowed his eyes. “Why do you have a young lady in handcuffs, Cal? That doesn’t seem like your style.”

  “She’s not your concern. Please have the crates delivered to my ship. Once they start loading, I’ll give you the power source.”

  Glenn inclined his head. “I’ll have them sent straight away. Should I call in for your immediate departure?”

  “Of course.” Cal checked the shadows again. “Like you said, no one wants to be caught with fruit on board. I want to unload these containers as soon as possible.”

  Glenn stood and shook Cal’s hand. “Consider it done, my friend. Safe trading to you.”

  “And you.”

  They backed out of the room, and Cal handed the purple card to the guard.

  “That went well,” Ty said.

  Behind them, the guard talked into his shoulder, seeming to forcibly muffle his voice.

  A chill ran down Cal’s back. Everyone knew fresh fruit traded like gold on Earth, and Cal was about to transfer a huge haul. Those cartons of citrus had been on this station for days already, though. If anyone wanted to steal them, they could have taken them from cryo-storage at any time.

  Unless it was easier to snatch them when they were already on the way to the hangar.

  Cal picked up his pace, grabbing Dania and dragging her along. “We need to get out of here. Fast.”

  “What’s up?” Ethan asked.

  “I just have a bad feeling, that’s all.”

  Three men, clad neck to toe in black, turned into the hallway and pulled out guns. “There they are!”

  Crap… Cal hated it when he was right.

  “In here.” Cal pulled them all into a side room as fire lit up the hall.

  “Look for a back exit.” Ethan pulled Dania and Alanna behind a metal partition. He winced, his face scrunching up.

  The painkillers must be wearing off. It was dumb of Cal to have Ethan come out on this trade. Shoulda, woulda, coulda, as his mom used to say… There was nothing he could do about it now.

  Alanna palmed her small sidearm and aimed it at the door. When it opened, she shot three times, and two bodies fell.

  Ethan held up his hands. “Remind me to never piss you off, beautiful.” His grin seemed half-hearted. He probably hadn’t been anticipating a problem, either, or he might have opted to sit tight for a few more days.

  Another blast came through the door, and a hole appeared in the wall just over Ethan’s head.

  Cal tensed. That was way too close.

  “Over here!” Ty called.

  Alanna and Cal gave cover fire as Ethan ran Dania toward Ty’s voice. Then they followed the others through a narrow hallway.

  Cal gritted his teeth. They weren’t running in the right direction. But not getting shot was their primary concern. They sped through the corridor, Cal taking out the lights, before Ty pushed through the last door into a small room. Tables lined a small gathering place with no exits.

  Ice chilled Cal’s veins. They were trapped.

  Ty cursed, spinning toward them. “I’m sorry!”

  “Take flanking positions,” Cal said. “There are enough of us to defend.”

  Cal and Ty flipped over the metal tables and threw the chairs on the floor. They weren’t much, but if they tripped a few of their attackers, it was something in their favor.

  Dania eased behind one of the tables. Her expression seemed…bemused. Did she really want to see them all dead so badly?

  A bolt of light blasted into the room. Alanna fired, and something thumped to the ground.

  Ethan held up his palm for a high-five. “That’s my woman.”

  Alanna pointed her gun at him. “I am not your woman.”

  “Yet.” He turned his attention back to the door, wincing.

  Only Ethan could be in that much pain and still manage to hit on Alanna.

  Cal centered his sights down the hallway. “Could we please focus on not dying, people?”

  Ethan looked over the partition and gasped. His face twisted again.

  They should have left him on the ship. He was in no condition to be under fire.

  Cal handed him a small pistol from his own boot. “Why did you leave the ship without a gun?”

  He shrugged. “I’m a pacifist. And she’s here.” He pointed at Alanna. “And you have to admit, a babe packing iron is pretty hot.”

  Cal shoved the gun into Ethan’s hand. “Shoot the damn thing.”

  The engineer leaned around Alanna and fired. A body thumped to the floor. Pacifist, my ass.

  More bolts blasted over their heads.

  “I’m running low,” Ty called. His next shot glowed orange, not yellow. Not good.

  “Me, too.” Alanna sent three more bolts through the entrance.

  The firepower suddenly stopped.

  “Calvin Espinoza?” a voice called.

  Cal jolted at the sound of his name. The crew looked at each other, gaping.

  His ship was registered, but he hadn’t left his name when they’d docked. That was protocol, giving traders and smugglers as much anonymity as possible.

  There was no reason to deny their identities, though. Cal leaned up but kept behind the partition. “Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?”

  “My name’s Max. We have no beef with you. You’re free to leave.”

  Cal looked at Ty. His first mate shook his head, and Cal agreed. No one expended that much firepower and then just let you walk away.

  “The terms?” Cal asked, but he knew the answer. Thirty cases of oranges were a massive haul for any trader out here. It was a huge loss, but he’d give them up to save the crew.

  “The terms are simple,” Max said. “Leave the enforcer. Tie her to something so she doesn’t give us any trouble, and the rest of you walk out of here.”

  Alanna cocked her weapon and whispered what sounded like mother plucking cow-herds as she pointed her gun at the door.

  “I’m sorry.” Ty wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “This is my fault.”

  “It’s no one’s fault.” Cal ducked farther behind the panel, easing to the floor. “I need ideas, people.”

  Ty looked at Dania, his gaze drawing to the handcuffs. His lips thinned. He’d led them down this hall, and now Dania was right back in danger from the very trappers they’d saved her from in the first place.

  Cal looked over both his shoulders. There had to be a way out of this light-forsaken hall!

  “We’re not giving her up.” Ty spun to Ethan. “Give me the keys.”

  Ethan’s eyes widened. “What keys?”

  Ty’s lips parted. “I told you to grab the keys to the handcuffs before we left the ship.”

  Ethan felt through his pockets. “I-I don’t have them.”

  Behind them, Dania shrank closer to the floor. Her gaze darted through the room.

  She looked more annoyed than scared. Maybe they were right about how powerful she was. Of course, they couldn’t get the cuffs off to se
e. Hopefully, this wouldn’t be the death of them all, because he knew his crew. They wouldn’t sell their worst enemy into slavery, even if it was to save their own skins.

  Dania caught him staring at her and smiled. “Quite the problem.”

  “Yeah,” Cal said. “You do realize this crew won’t give you up, and they’re probably going to die defending you.”

  Her smile deepened. “Probably.”

  Cal sneered. “They’re innocent in all this.”

  “They’re far from innocent. They all committed a crime just minutes ago. Citrus trading, as I pointed out, is illegal without a license.”

  This was like talking to a computer. He pointed to his crew. “These people are about to be executed for the crime of protecting you. Can you live with that?”

  She glared at him, unmoving.

  Apparently, she could.

  “Espinoza?” Max called.

  “Hold on,” Cal said. “We’re trying to contain her.” He got on his knees before Dania, setting his gun on the floor. “Those men are about to come down that hall unloading an arsenal over our heads. Please don’t let this happen. These people are my family.”

  She held up her hands. “I can’t help. I’m restrained.” Her expression dripped with smugness.

  If she kept this up, he might forget she was a woman and punch her in the face.

  She wasn’t helpless. She’d drawn ion particles out of Ethan’s back with those cuffs on. She could do something, and something was more of a chance than they had now.

  A sizzling sound filled the room, and a heavy object clunked to the metal floor.

  “Bomb!” Ethan cried.

  They all hit the deck before a low explosion and a rumble filled the room. Smoke billowed up, surrounding them. Footfalls tromped through the fog.

  Dania fingered a small hole in her uniform from a piece of flying shrapnel. “Now I’m annoyed.”

  Is that all it took? If Cal had known that, he would have ripped her clothes when all this had started.

  Another small bomb sailed over their heads and landed at Dania’s feet. Snarling, she snatched the round metal casing and threw it back at the advancing trappers. Several voices cried out before it exploded.

  Ethan’s brow rose. “Damn, that’s my kind of woman.”

  Dania kneeled. “I tire of this.” She pointed her chin at Ty. “You.” Then at Ethan. “And you.” She placed her hands on the floor, pulling the cables of the shackles tight. “Both of you set your weapons to laser, and hold them until they’re expelled.”

  Ethan cocked his head. “That won’t do anything. That’s Palian steel.”

  Her lips rose in half a grin. Cal shivered. She obviously knew something they didn’t.

  “Do it,” Cal told them, as the shouting started outside the door again.

  Yellow light illuminated Dania’s face as Ty and Ethan unloaded the last of their weapon’s energy into the handcuffs. Ethan’s weapon went dead and then Ty’s, but the handcuffs remained.

  A thousand curses came to Cal’s mind, but none of them sounded harsh enough. They’d just wasted two guns.

  He stared at her. “You’ve killed us.”

  Her half-smile became full. “Not yet, little smuggler.”

  Smoke billowed about her as she lifted her hands, and the cables connecting her wrists melted into a puddle at her feet.

  Ty cursed from within the smoke.

  Cal shivered, barely able to move. They’d done it. They’d set her free.

  He’d been flying through the galaxy with a virtual nuclear weapon on board, and now she was about to go off.

  She stood and stared down the corridor, death in her gaze, before a beam of light sliced through the air, hitting her shoulder.

  Dania fell back and growled. “That stung!”

  Yeah, getting hit with a light razor did that.

  She stood, only to get sliced on the other arm. She fell again, staring at one of the wounds.

  As she tried to get up again, Cal pulled her back to the floor. “News flash, sweetheart. Ammunition can hurt you.”

  She glared at him. “Not me.”

  He pointed to her bleeding arm. “All evidence to the contrary.”

  Her brow furrowed.

  She could deny it all she wanted, but those cuts had to hurt.

  Her lower lip trembled. Was this pride, or blind dumb foolery?

  Alanna slid to her side. “Please stay down. Why give them a target?”

  Dania held up her arm. “They shouldn’t have been able to shoot me.”

  “But they did.” Alanna looked over her shoulder at the door. “We’ll figure it out.”

  Dania stared at Alanna’s gun. “How much of a charge do you have?”

  Alanna looked down at her gage. “Twenty-five percent.”

  Dania held her wrists out, showing the metal bracelets the cables had been connected to. “Hit these with the entire charge.”

  Alanna leaned away, shaking her head.

  Cal pulled Dania back. “That will take both your hands off.”

  Her gaze lanced him. “I’m incapacitated.”

  Was this supposed to be new information?

  She snarled at him, holding up the bracelets. “I. Need. These. Off.”

  Cal got into her face. “If she blasts you, it will slice clear through your wrists. You’ll lose your hands.”

  She lifted her chin. “Not if I stop her in time.”

  Despite the defiant stance, Dania’s eyes quaked. For the first time since Cal had met her, the mighty enforcer actually looked scared.

  “It’s my choice,” Dania said. “I’d rather have no hands than be taken.”

  Cal leaned back. If he were in the same position, he might feel the same.

  He grabbed Alanna’s weapon. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she hurt someone by accident.

  He met Dania’s gaze. “Ready?”

  A blast exploded over their heads. Alanna cried out as the table fell on her.

  Ty and Ethan scrambled to free her.

  “Now or never!” Cal said.

  Dania took a deep breath and held out her wrists.

  Cal steadied his aim and flicked the igniter.

  He hoped this worked.

  16

  Dania

  Dania pulled away from the weapon when the melting bracelets stung her skin. The first binding dripped to the floor, and a hum filled Dania’s mind as the visceral power she’d been cut off from reached for her.

  Another explosion, and Ty pulled Alanna into his lap, slapping her face until she opened her eyes. He looked relieved when she took a breath, but they weren’t safe yet.

  The second bracelet dripped to the ground, the illicit metal carving a hole in the tiles as its liquid form ate through the flooring. Her wrists burned and ached, but the power of her prince—drained, but still tangible—returned to her.

  “Dania?” Espinoza’s gaze held concern.

  His heartrate increased. He didn’t want to die. This man was inordinately wary of her. Which she supposed wasn’t odd for a smuggler. His distaste seemed more than that, though…something personal.

  No matter. They’d freed her for a purpose. One she was more than happy to accomplish.

  Dania reached for more power, but it didn’t come. She was free, but she wasn’t anywhere near her full strength.

  Another bolt of light shot over their heads. She might not be able to save them all as the captain had obviously hoped, but she might be able to get a few of them out alive.

  Taking a deep breath, she stood.

  The copper-haired engineer cursed and rolled away from her.

  “Here we go.” Ty smiled at her then looked back to the door. Very trusting, for a criminal.

  Alanna moved beside her, pulling out an old-fashioned bullet-loaded sidearm.

  The woman blinked, as if dizzy. “I have a few rounds left. I can cover you.”

  “You were just unconscious,” Dania pointed out.

 
; The pink-haired woman’s eyes narrowed. “I can still shoot better than any of these guys.”

  Dania huffed out a laugh, then caught herself. There was nothing amusing about this situation.

  The woman still had her focus on the doorway, gun set, and appearing more than ready to make good on her promise. Something about her determination, the comradery, warmed Dania.

  She shook away the thought. Dania had never been backed up by a human before. The woman would probably be a liability, but she supposed Alanna was preferable to Espinoza.

  Dania’s skin tingled, coming alive after far too long as the essence of her prince reignited. She raised her hands to focus the building force. It wasn’t the flood of energy she was used to, but the warmth still filled her like an old friend. She drew in a deep breath, reveling in the power. She’d never take it for granted again.

  Nor would she allow these trappers to do the same to another of her kind.

  Focusing on the doorway, she set the energy inside her free.

  The warmth burst from her fingers, swirling up into a billow of yellow before her power shot through the door and exploded on the other side. The smell of scorched flesh rose over the trapper’s screams. Several weapons discharged, one blast entering the room and exploding behind Dania’s head.

  She twitched, her chest clenching as the screams outside the doorway rose to a feverish pitch. She wasn’t supposed to kill the trappers. The chances were slim that their leaders were out there, risking their lives alongside their men. She was supposed to let them take her back to their lair and then dismantle the entire operation from their core.

  Instead, the criminals outside cried out in agony, hitting the floor one at a time as they took their final breaths.

  Dania lowered one hand, rubbing her chest to soothe the odd ache. A direct order from her prince and her king had been broken. What she’d just done should have been impossible. One simply didn’t disregard orders.

  Yet there she stood.

  Dania thought about the photographs posted on the smuggling networks of beaten and shackled enforcers, treated worse than animals in cages and placed on display for bragging rights. One day, Matara’s photo would probably be among them. Especially now that Dania had quashed her chances of finding the leaders.