by Frost Kay
Zune stopped his pacing. “What do you need?”
“Hide anything important and make it quick.”
The Kitteran nodded and strode out of the room.
“We’ll go about this as normally as possible. We’ll go on as we usually do. Give him what he wants.” He kissed her softly on the cheek and pulled her into a hug. “It’ll all be okay. Trust me.”
She did, and that scared her a little bit.
Trust was a slippery thing. Like a snake.
She hated snakes.
16
Creepers Be Creepin
You know the one thing she could trust?
Her bad luck.
Allie wiggled her dark pants down her thighs and off her legs, then kicked them into the corner of the immaculate bathroom and rubbed her eyes. With red-rimmed eyes, she glared at the contacts resting on the vanity like they weren’t a ball and chain wrapped around her ankle.
She sure hoped Blade figured something out quickly. Wearing them for one day had been bad enough.
Shifting, she pulled her shirt over her head and lifted her arm to inspect the side of her chest. She winced at the angry, red, chafed skin just below the edge of her bra. It still flabbergasted her that the style of bras hadn’t changed much over the last couple hundred years. They still were made for male’s pleasures and not for women’s comfort.
“Must have been a man who designed these torture devices,” she mumbled underneath her breath as she dropped her arm to stare at her reflection. Her lips pursed as she stared at her boobs. Stars above, she wished they were smaller. They always got in the way of everything, and it was nearly impossible to find clothing that didn’t expose them to everyone’s eyes. In fact, a female at the Scarlet Kiss told her last week that they were almost obscenely large.
Allie cupped her chest and shook her head, jostling the heart-shaped vial resting on the top of her boobs. “Why did you guys have to get so big? Y’all kill my back. I need better support.”
Her wrist comm buzzed, and she glanced at the little round screen adorning her wrist and frowned at the message scrolling across.
I’ll hold them for you.
What in the worlds? Chills erupted along her arms. She lifted her arm closer to her face, so she could examine the comm closer. Another message scrolled across the surface.
Look up.
She glance up and a scream caught in her throat. She stumbled back into the wall behind her. Sloven’s smirking face stared at her from the mirror. He held up his arm to tap his own wrist comm.
She glanced from the mirror to her wrist.
Do you always dress down for company?
A squeak escaped her, and she groped for something, anything, to cover up with. Scrambling, she yanked a fuzzy towel from the wall, along with the towel holder, which clattered against the white stone floor.
“Allie?” Jer called from the living room. “You okay?”
Allie furiously wrapped the towel around her body, hating that her thigh still peeked out the right side. Her hands trembled as Sloven held his fingers to his lips to shush her. Fear streaked through her, and she barely managed to squeak out, “I’m… I’m fine. Just tripped.”
A throaty laugh answered her. “You’re so accident prone. To hurt yourself in the shower. I don’t want to have to come in there and save you.”
“Ha ha,” Allie forced out, not able to look away from the dark red eyes watching her with mirth. She shivered as her comm buzzed again and another message scrolled across.
Check the drawer.
Hands shaking, Allie opened the top vanity drawer slowly as if a army of spiders and scorpions would pop out. She panted as she pulled a red compact from the drawer and opened it. An ear comm lay on a bed of blood-red satin. It was identical to the one Sid had shown her.
She snapped the compact closed and shook her head.
Instead of the rage she expected, Sloven smiled. It was terrifying, like a shark smiling right before it ate you.
Her comm buzzed again. If that’s how you feel.
The mirror wavered, and the image of a Sarpe woman emerged. Tears sparkled against her slightly forest-green scaled skin. The camera moved, showing the woman was tied to a chair, and the view focused on her pregnant belly before panning wide to show another Sarpe in a heap before the woman, a pool of deep-purple blood beneath his crumpled form.
Dizziness slammed into her, and Allie clutched the vanity.
Sid.
Tears blurred her vision, and she placed a hand over her mouth to keep her sobs locked away. The screen shifted again to Sloven. He tipped his chin to her and touched his ear.
Without really knowing what she was doing, Allie opened the compact and placed the comm inside her ear. She barely noticed how it melded with her ear canal. All she could do was stare blankly at the monster in front of her, while the image of Sid burned into her brain.
“Why?” she croaked.
Sloven’s voice answered her, clear and smooth, like he was standing right in front of her. “There are consequences to your actions, Allie.”
More tears filled her eyes. “Is he alive?” she dared to ask.
“For now.”
“Violence serves nothing.”
“And that’s what I love about you.”
She winced at the word ‘love’ and fought not to cower in front of the scary alien.
Sloven continued, “Your naivety is intoxicating, but on this we’ll have to agree to disagree. I’d say violence served me well today. And wouldn’t you agree that there are consequences to every decision we make?”
She sniffed hard and stared furiously at Sloven. “Who made you judge, jury, and executioner?”
“Why, the good people of Sars, of course.” His gaze wandered over her body, and she found herself clutching the towel closer. “You look better than the last time I saw you. I’m glad you accepted my gift.”
Her hand moved to the velvet ribbon of her necklace. “I don’t know how much of a gift you can call it when you’re the one who caused…” She released the necklace and gestured to the lines covering her chest and arms. “All this.”
“I, for one, think it’s bewitching.”
He would. She shifted on her feet and squared her shoulders, trying to stand taller than her meager five feet four inches”. “What do you want?”
“You, your babies, world domination, and revenge, among other things.” He sighed dramatically. “But only a few of those are within reach right at this moment, which leads me to my next point. I have an assignment for you.”
She stiffened. “What do you want?”
“I have something I need you to pick up for me. I’ll make sure Sid is well enough to collect you in two days. Be ready and wear something more appropriate.” His eyes once again roved over her body. “Not that I don’t like this look. I just don’t want anyone else to see you. You belong to me.”
Disgusting. She didn’t belong to anyone. “Anything else, master?” she asked sarcastically.
“I like the ring of that. Be careful, Human, or I might just get used to it.”
“Fat chance.”
Sloven chuckled. “I’ll be seeing you soon.”
Allie pointed to her ear. “How do I get this out?”
“Worried about getting too used to having me whispering in your ear?”
“How do I get it out?”
“Press your finger into your ear, and it’ll release.” Sloven’s smile faded as he stared at her seriously. “Don’t play any games, princess. Someone always gets hurts.” He blew her a kiss, and his image faded, leaving her staring at her own reflection.
Allie knees began to shake so hard that she spun and sat down, her back pressing against the vanity. How was she supposed to beat that?
“Sweet dreams,” he cooed in her ear.
Tears began anew. She pressed her finger into her ear, praying that the comm would release. A soft sob escaped her as the ear comm formed and she pulled it out and scrambled upright,
throwing it in the toilet. Her whole body trembled as the toilet flushed automatically.
Her gaze latched onto the mirror; a shudder worked through her. How long had he been watching her in here? Her skin crawled, but she dared not hop into the shower. Who knew what lurked in there? He’d gotten into her apartment. What else had he done?
Her eyes dropped to the abandoned metal towel holder. Without making a conscious decision, she reached for the pole and slammed it into the mirror. Again. Again. And again.
Jer burst through the door and grabbed Allie’s wrist. She jerked, staring at Jer.
“What the hell are you doing?” her roommate shouted. “Are you out of your mind?”
“Sloven watched everything,” Allie screamed back, tears still tracking down her face. The rage left her as soon as it came, and she dropped to her knees, feeling like the world was spinning out of control.
Coal slammed through the door and stared at the mess. “What’s going on?”
Jer shoved the makeshift weapon at the Av and turned to Allie. “Babe, there’s glass everywhere. We need to get out.”
“I hate him!” Allie yelled again.
“We need a team here,” Coal murmured as Jer stepped closer and wrapped her hands around Allie’s biceps.
“Come on,” Jer urged, pulling Allie from the floor and out of the bathroom.
Her knees burned, but she barely noticed it as Jer sat her on the couch. People entered the apartment, but they were a blur around her. All she could see was Sid and his pregnant wife. Guilt started to rise up, but she shoved it down. Her actions hadn’t caused this. It was that sadistic bastard who thought he could control her. She barely noticed Eve kneeling before her. A warm, heavy arm landed over her shoulder, and she was pulled into a hard, familiar chest.
“You’re okay,” Blade whispered, pulling a blanket over the both of them, making sure to keep her cut-up knees exposed for Eve.
“We’re not safe,” she said woodenly. “He’s been here.”
Blade froze, his chest not even moving. He sucked in a slow breath and resumed his petting of her tangled hair.
“Sweep the apartment,” Lev barked somewhere from the room.
Allie buried her face against Blade’s shirt. “How do we kill a giant?”
“We cut off his legs.”
She shivered at the malice in his tone. “I can’t do it.”
“You don’t have to do it. We’ll do this together. You’re not alone.”
“Promise?” she whispered.
“I swear it.”
17
Elvish Cosplay
“There’s nothing. Not one trace,” Coal said as Eve left the apartment.
Lev cursed. “But we’re clear?”
Coal sat wearily and eyed Allie. “I’ve done the best I know how.”
It was the least of her problems, but his knowing heated look caused heat to rise in her cheeks. She lifted her head from Blade’s shoulder and wiggled until there was a little more space between them. A soft, dangerous sound rumbled from Blade’s chest that caused the hair on her arms to stand.
“Stop that,” she chastised, snuggling down in the blanket.
It abruptly cut off. “Sorry.”
“Accepted.” She glanced around the room at the quiet occupants. “It is completely clear?” she had to double check or she wouldn’t sleep at all that night.
“Yes,” Virgil answered from her left. “There’s nothing.”
Allie arched a brow at the wrinkly alien. “Including what you installed?”
Jer stiffened, and her blue eyes began to glitter. “They’ve been bugging our apartment as well?”
Lev answered before Allie could, “It was necessary. For your protection.”
“Protection, my ass. How long?”
“Since you moved in,” Lev answered calmly.
Her roommate’s face flushed. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Get rid of it. Now.”
“It’s to protect you.”
Jer stepped closer to Lev, chest to chest. She tipped her head back and glared up into Lev’s face. “Since it’s kept the monsters at bay so well…”
Allie hid her smile as displeasure rippled across Lev’s face before he schooled his features.
One point to Jer.
“Jer, you’re letting your emotions get the best of you.” Coal interjected.
Allie’s eyes widened, and she jumped into the conversation before Jer could respond. Lord help them if her fiery friend attacked Lev. “So, what do we do now?”
“We wait,” Lev answered.
“For what?”
There was a knock at the door.
Jer grabbed the towel-holder from the floor and marched toward the door.
“That’s not necessary,” Lev said, passing Jer on his way to the entrance of their apartment. Her roommate muttered something underneath her breath, looking murderous, but didn’t drop her makeshift weapon as she stared suspiciously down the hall.
Allie craned to see down the hallway, but Lev’s form blocked whoever had arrived. The front door hissed shut, and Lev moved back into the living room. A petite hooded form followed him.
“Welcome to our home,” Jer said dryly. “Just come on in.”
The new person chuckled, the sound husky and dark. “Don’t mind if I do.” She stepped closer to Jer and held her hand out. “I’m Karma.”
Jer shook her head and lowered her crowbar. “Well, you’ll fit in with this lot. They have no sense of privacy or personal space.” She shook the female’s hand. “So, what’s with the cloak and dagger outfit?”
The stranger turned to face Allie and lifted the hood from her face.
The blanket slid from Allie’s fingers as she gaped at the other female.
It was her: Allie. Her exact replica.
“What the…?” Jer trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words.
Allie stared, and Karma stared back. It was eerie. But one thing was abundantly apparent. They’d managed to find her a double. So, this was their plan. She shook her head.
“It’ll never work.”
Virgil, who lounged against the wall to her left, glanced at Karma. “It’ll work.”
“It can’t.”
Karma swaggered across the room, nudged Coal out of her way, and sat on the table facing Blade. “Can you find any cracks in my disguise? She’s your mate, after all.”
Allie stiffened and glared at Blade. Was he telling people she was his mate? Blade didn’t look in her direction but leaned forward and focused on Karma’s face. Coward.
Coal heaved himself from the table and rounded the couch. “You got anything to eat?”
Allie glanced over her shoulder at the Av as he began rummaging through her cabinets. “Just make yourself at home, why don’t ya?”
Coal plucked a box from the cabinet and wrinkled his nose at it, before carelessly tossing it back inside. “We’re practically family.”
The idea warmed her, but she scowled at him before turning back to Blade’s examination. He was running his fingers along Karma’s cheeks and through her hair. Allie’s breath caught in her throat as he tipped Karma’s head back and inhaled deeply along her neck.
Heat swooped through Allie as she watched. Was that what she looked like when in Blade’s arms? Blade opened his eyes and glanced in her direction, his pupils dilated. He smiled at her, dark and sinful. Allie blinked. Apparently, Coal didn’t get all the naughtiness in the family. Blade took one last deep breath before pulling back, never glancing away from Allie’s blushing face.
“The scent is a little off,” he said roughly. “But it’ll fool anyone else.”
He glanced away, breaking the moment, and Allie felt like she could breathe again. Goodness, was he intense. Allie glanced to Karma. Her doppelganger didn’t look affected at all, which soothed something inside Allie that she didn’t want to admit was there: a wee bit of jealousy.
Karma smiled at her. “You guys excited for another roommate?”
�
��Another roommate?” Jer asked.
“She’s going to be staying with you until we can get a handle on this situation. Karma will impersonate Allie. Ms. Sai, you’ll have a new look,” Virgil said. He gestured toward her shared room. “If you’ll follow me?”
On stiff legs, Allie stood, keeping the blanket tightly wrapped around herself and the towel. Her knees ached but at least the bleeding had stopped, and her legs felt like they might collapse any moment, but she smiled when she entered her room. She glanced longingly at the bed. It was so close and yet so far.
Blade followed her into the room and quietly closed the door. Her nerves jumped as she watched him approach her. He pulled another wrist comm from the pocket of his black leather trousers. “Please, can I have your wrist?”
Allie complied, quietly watching as he pulled off her old comm and tucked it into his back pocket before securing the new one around her wrist. She stared at his face as he fiddled with the comm, the soft murmur of voices filtering into the room.
“What are you doing?” she asked softly.
He glanced up at her through impossibly-long lashes, his blue-black eyes watching her. Unfair. Guys always got the best lashes.
“It’s a distorter.”
Like the one he’d used on her. The unspoken truth hung between them before she looked down at the new comm. “Is Karma using one as well?”
“Yes, and no.”
“She looked too young.”
Blade paused. “She’s your mirror image.”
Allie flinched at the word ‘mirror’ and forced herself to breathe calmly. Could she live with putting someone else in the hands of Sloven? It seemed wrong to let Karma play her. “I don’t want her to get hurt. She’s an innocent.”
Blade smiled and shook his head, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “That girl is one of the most dangerous assassins to ever grace the Lock sector. She now wears your face; that’s why she looks so innocent. Don’t worry for her. She’s got this handled.” A pause. “I handpicked her. She’s dangerous in a way you can’t comprehend.” He stepped back and spun around, giving her a view of his wide muscular back. “Get some clothes on, and we’ll test your distorter.”