Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

CARLA

“Who?”

“Miriam,” Ari said. Then, because she needed the clarification, he added, “Your friend.”

“I don’t know a Miriam.” She kept the pistol focused on the gargoyle. Her head might be foggy, but she didn’t have gaps in her memory.

“You do not have to pretend with me, Darla. I freed you from your captor.”

“What did you call me?”

“Darla.”

Yeah, this was starting to make sense. The gargoyle had the wrong person.

“My name is Carla,” she said, stressing the hard kay sound.

His wings fluttered as if embarrassed or flustered.

“Human names all sound like you are swallowing rocks. Caaarla. Daaarla,” he said, making a rumbling, gargling noise in the back of his throat.

Translator chips sometimes garbled proper names but come on. That was just rude. Then again, maybe this wasn’t a translator problem.

“Oh my God, do all humans look the same to you?”

“I have never seen Darla, so I cannot say if you share a resemblance,” he said in a too-smooth, too-arrogant tone.

Unbelievable. He just grabbed a random human with a similar-sounding name.

“Are you for real?” she asked.

His brow furrowed, as if confused. “As real as a person can be. Is now the best time for existential debates?”

Just for that, she shot him.

Ari hissed, patting a hand against the smoldering fabric of his evening jacket. “This is Sevengi wool. It is impossible to find here.”

“Now’s not the time for an existential crisis over your wardrobe.” Okay, it wasn’t the best quip, but Ari looked genuinely annoyed when she parroted his words back at him, so fuck yeah, she’d count that as a win.

“Where’s Poppy? Tell me, or I’ll put another hole in your expensive suit,” she threatened.

“I do not know.”

He earned himself a matching hole on the other side of the jacket. The old pistol didn’t have enough energy to do real damage, but Ari seemed more distraught about his ruined clothes than if she had put a hole in his hide.

“Will you cease?” He marched toward her and snatched the pistol from her. “I presume Poppy was taken to whatever foul pit Tavat calls home, but she is not here. We are on my ship.”

Okay, okay. Her head was still a little foggy, but she pieced it together. “You kidnapped me because you thought I was this Darla?”

“I purchased you, but yes.”

“You bought me.”

“Yes, that is why you are not in Tavat’s possession,” Ari said, and then, because he just could not read the room, added, “You are welcome.”

Wow, that made it worse somehow. First mistaken identity, and now he had the nerve to suggest she should be grateful for this bullshit.

“You bought me!” Carla grabbed the trusty bronze statue and started swinging like it was a Louisville slugger. People who said violence never solved anything obviously weren’t swinging hard enough. Violence seemed to be solving quite a few things.

Hitting the gargoyle felt like whacking a stick against a concrete pillar. The statue would break before making a dent in him. Nonetheless, he retreated until he was out the door.

“Enough,” he said, catching the statue before it could make contact yet again. “You are not the human I’ve been searching for, but I did rescue you from Tavat’s clutches. Be grateful.”

Clutches. Who talks like that?

Carla slammed her hand against the control panel and waved the statue menacingly until the door closed.

It immediately opened. Ari stood at the other side, frowning. “This is my ship. No door is locked to me.”

She folded her arms over her chest, still holding the statue. “If you think I’m your property, think again.”

“I wouldn’t presume.” He then added, “I bribed Tavat’s male to claim he did not find you. My only concern was your well-being. Tavat is not known for his kindness.”

“You mean Darla’s well-being.”

They held each other’s gaze, neither blinking. It was a very angry staring contest.

“I’m not Darla,” she said, breaking the silence.

“I am aware.”

More angry silence.

“This is your fault,” she said.

“I disagree.”

“If you hadn’t been staring at me, Tavat wouldn’t have given a rat’s ass, but you were all—” She waved her hands at her face and made her eyes sarcastically round. And yes, you can do that if you’ve leveled your sarcasm high enough. It’s not a beginner’s move. Level three at least. “ Ooh, look at the human…what’s your name…”

“I needed confirmation?—”

“You need to mind your own business,” she snapped.

“You threw a drink at Tavat. He had to make an example of you,” he shot back.

Fine, he had a point, but she’d be damned before she admitted as much. “Now Tavat has Poppy.”

Ari snorted. “That female.”

“That female is my friend.”

“Your friend?” He sounded surprised. “Do you have the Hattera Complex?”

“Is that like a vitamin deficiency?”

“It is when you empathize with your captors. It is not healthy. That female is no longer your owner. You are free of her.”

“You think I have Stockholm Syndrome?” She laughed. This alien got everything wrong about her situation. “Poppy isn’t my owner. She’s my friend.”

“She put a collar on you.” Ari grimaced as he spoke, like the words left a sour taste in his mouth.

“The collar was fake.”

“It was real enough.”

Carla shrugged one shoulder. This was going nowhere. “How long was I unconscious?”

“Two hours. It is a little after dawn,” he said. Well, he didn’t technically say hours. Translator chips played fast and loose with units of measurement, shifting it to the closest approximation that Carla’s brain would understand. Yet they still bungled names.

Only two hours. The minion probably didn’t murder Poppy in the street, so there was a good chance that she was still alive.

“Was Poppy hurt?”

“She was unconscious.”

“But was she bleeding out? Did Tavat’s goon shoot her?”

His wings shifted, almost suggesting a shrug of his own. “Not my concern.”

“Not your concern? This is your fault?—”

“Also your fault.”

“We were doing fine until you stuck your nose in.”

“You were both unconscious in the street. Your definition of ‘fine’ is lacking.”

She narrowed her eyes. His quick, glib responses infuriated her. “We have to go back and get Poppy.”

“No.” Ari turned, striding down the corridor.

Carla followed. “What do you mean no?”

“We are no longer in the Hub’s port and cannot return immediately.”

She struggled to match his strides. She had all sorts of questions about why he couldn’t turn the ship around but stuck with the obvious. “Why not?”

His tail lashed from side to side. “Because it is necessary.”

“You owe me.”

Ari paused in front of a door, which opened softly. “Incorrect. You have benefited, albeit erroneously, from a debt I owe to a friend. Now, this is your cabin. You will find it adequate.”

Adequate didn’t do the cabin justice; it was lush, far nicer than any room she’d rented in the last two years. It was spacious, clean, and decorated with a heavy hand that appreciated shiny things. It wasn’t as ostentatious as the treasure trove; more like a casino trying really hard to be classy with lots of marble and reflective surfaces.

“I don’t need a cabin. I need my friend,” she said.

Ari ignored her and asked, “Are you hungry?”

“No,” she answered immediately, then her stomach growled.

“Would you like to clean up while I prepare a meal? I printed these for you.” He picked up a neatly folded gray jumpsuit from a dresser. “Then we can discuss your situation.”

Right. Her situation, like he had no hand in creating it.

“Fine. I’ll get cleaned up.” Carla took the clothes. While basic and as far from fashionable as you could get, at least it was human-sized, and she couldn’t deny she needed something clean to wear. A shower would be good, too. It’d give her time to strategize.

Clearly, Ari had a thing for damsels in distress. She’d convince him to rescue Poppy, even if she had to lay on the waterworks. Even if she had to play dirty.

There was still time to turn the situation around.

ARI

The wrong human. Of all the stone-headed mistakes he’d made in his life, this one was top of the roost. A barely noticeable mistake. Hardly worth mentioning.

What was he going to do with the female?

He busied himself in the ship’s kitchen while his mind worked on this problem. Focusing on the meal also kept him from worrying about the new complication: a Khargal ship had entered Reazus Prime’s orbit. He thought it prudent to leave the port and take to the ocean for a time. It was easy enough to track a ship’s energy signatures if one knew the make and model. While his ship could no longer be considered cutting edge, it was fairly unique. Most ships on the planet were relics and piles of junk held together with wishful thinking. His ship stood out like a shining gem in a pile of otherwise forgettable gems. If the Khargal agents were looking for Mer’len’s treasure ship, there was only one on the planet that fit the description.

Better to raise the solar sails and let the ship drift quietly away on the water. This avoidance was only effective until someone had the clever idea to report the ship’s location. Who knew how long until the Khargals offered a reward? He’d need to think of a permanent solution. Dropping the mask in the ocean wouldn’t work. The Khargal agents needed to know it was someplace else.

Carla entered the kitchen just as he pulled a tray of sweet rolls out of the oven. Fresh from a shower, her hair had darkened to a deep, tarnished golden color, and she wore the provided jumpsuit. Utilitarian and gray, it was not the most flattering color or shape. She had rolled the cuff of the sleeves, as if those were too large.

“Is the garment acceptable? I estimated your measurements,” he said, setting the hot tray on the table.

“It’s fine. A little tight in the hips, but it fits.” She tugged the middle, as if that could help the poor fit.

Ari’s wings fluttered, annoyed. “Please do not assume that I place no value in your appearance. The fabrication printer can only produce that garment material and color.”

“You value my appearance,” she repeated slowly, as if reaching the wrong conclusion.

“Do not misunderstand me. Vanity is my one flaw. I am particular about my garments. I wished to show you the same courtesy, but I gave you a shapeless gray sack.”

“Wow, just the one flaw,” she said in a tone that he could not tell if she was teasing or mocking him. Given how she beat him with a bronze statue, he decided mocking was her intent.

“Please help yourself,” Ari said, gesturing to the table. He prided himself on being a gracious host. “If there is anything you desire, I will ensure that it happens. My resources are at your disposal.”

“I suppose this is where I say anything ,” she said, her voice taking on a breathy tone, “and try to seduce you.” Her expression pinched together, as if the idea were distasteful.

Because it was.

“I appreciate the thought, but do not trouble yourself. It will not work.”

“You don’t think I can seduce you?” She planted a hand on her hip and struck a presumably seductive pose.

Ari’s gaze swept over her. His assessment had not changed. The fabric and color of the jumpsuit remained unflattering. The fit was too large but hinted at her generous shape underneath.

“Not in that garment,” he said.

She rolled her eyes in response. “If anything I desire is still on the table, I’d like to free my friend.”

Anything except that.

“Unfortunately, I cannot accommodate that request. However, we can discuss your options.”

She filled a plate with sliced fruit. The way her fingers twitched told him that he was clever to have pre-sliced the fruit and not provided her with a blade. “Options? What does that mean exactly?”

“You are free now.”

“I was always free,” she replied. She grabbed a sweet roll, icing dripping from the confection, and devoured half in one bite. “Trading coins on the streets with some hooligan doesn’t mean you own me.”

Her lack of gratitude was staggering.

“Let me clarify,” he said. “I did not purchase you, no matter what you think. That was a bribe for Tavat’s lackey to look the other way.”

“Because you thought I was this Darla chick.”

Yes .

Ari took the last sweet roll, aware that Carla watched as he used a knife and fork to carefully cut it in half. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment when he did not place half on her plate. Sharing was not his intention. This was etiquette. He would not shove an entire sweet roll into his mouth like an undisciplined nestling.

He said, “That is irrelevant. My mission is to liberate humans, and you are liberated. I will take you to a human -friendly settlement and set you up with enough credits for you to spend your days however you wish.” There. It was a good solution and honored his pledge.

“Your big plan is for me to start over?”

“Yes. A fresh beginning.”

“What if I don’t want to start over? And what about my stuff? Do you know how hard it is to find shoes that fit human feet?”

“Possessions can be replaced.”

“Easy for you to say. Special orders cost extra. I don’t know if you have any idea what the cost of living is on this planet, but it ain’t cheap. Plus, it’s my stuff.”

Her tone implied her unwillingness to abandon her meager worldly goods. Trivial matters, in his opinion.

“I will provide you with sufficient funds to outfit a new wardrobe if that is your concern,” he said.

“My concern—” Whatever she had to say, he would never know. Fury burned in her eyes as she bit into the sweet roll, chewing aggressively.

“My words are not hollow,” he said.

She closed her eyes and sighed. When they opened, a more amiable expression replaced her open hostility. “Your offer is very generous. Thank you. But I really am worried about my friend. I won’t take any of your money if you help me rescue her.”

“Your loyalty is admirable, but would this female be concerned about your fate if she had been the one to escape?”

With the sweet rolls gone, she buttered a slice of toast. The way she held the butter knife made him uneasy, like she considered several actions and would likely choose violence. Her grip tightened on the knife’s handle. It was an impractical weapon, but resourceful, and resourcefulness was very attractive.

Her grip relaxed, and she set down the knife. She said, anger very much in her voice, “Poppy would never.”

“Is this female your mate?”

“My… what? My mate?” Anger vanished, replaced with bafflement. “She’s my friend.”

“I am trying to understand the root of your devotion.”

She sighed, her fingers caressing the knife’s handle. “You know how humans got here, right? We were all abducted, and the ship exploded in orbit. I don’t know anything more, I was asleep, but Poppy was the one who found me. She pulled me out of the wreckage and saved my life.”

Now, he understood her loyalty. He said, “Her actions were noble, but you do not owe her anything.”

“She’s more than my friend—she’s my sister.”

Ari had no siblings and had no family he cared to mention, let alone mount a rescue for. His mother, yes, without hesitation, but she had been dead for many years. His father, however, could fall off a very steep cliff.

Again.

“Familial obligation is no reason to endanger yourself,” he said in a tone that implied she was being irrational, because she was.

She stared at him like he was defective. “It’s not about obligation. It’s about love and friendship. Don’t look at me like I’m talking nonsense. Poppy would tear the city apart brick by brick to find me.” She took a shaky breath, struggling to contain her emotions. “It’s not about owing Poppy anything. She’s got my back. I’ve got hers.”

“You cannot help her,” Ari said.

“Which is why I’m asking—begging—you for help. Do I need to get on my knees?” she asked. Before Ari could protest that was unnecessary, she slipped to the floor, got on her knees, and clasped her hands together in supplication. “Please. I’ll do anything,” she said, sounding desperate enough that he believed her.

A less honorable person would take advantage of her desperation. As it was, Ari wound his tail tight around his ankle to keep it from wandering. He said, “No, I mean that it is too late to help your friend. Do you not know who Tavat is?”

She lifted a shoulder, as if that were an answer. “Some high roller with hired muscle. Guys like him are a dime a dozen.”

His implanted translator informed him that this idiom meant a fraction of a unit of currency for a large quantity, implying that the subject was common and inexpensive.

Wrong in all regards.

“You have not been on Reazus Prime long,” he said. He himself had not been long on the planet and found the petty crime and casual lawlessness to be a delight. It was simple and honest.

Not like his homeworld. He had the advantage of an aristocratic upbringing. All that breeding and good lineage fine -tuned his family’s capacity for cruelty and deception. The family nest had nurtured vipers. While Ari had managed to escape—and get himself exiled in the process—his upbringing gave him the useful ability to spot the truly vile from the everyday petty criminal.

“Long enough.”

“Not long enough to learn that Tavat is no petty crime lord or to learn what he does to his enemies.”

“He kills them?”

“Death would be a mercy. What Tavat does to his enemies is worse,” Ari said. His words sounded overly dramatic, but she had to know the truth. There was no hope for Poppy. “Tavat infects his captives with a fungus, perhaps a virus. It destroys cognitive function, leaving the person alive but not living, understand? He has a compound on an island. These husks wander the island, tearing intruders apart.”

The pink color drained from her face, leaving her sallow and washed out. It was alarming. “Zombies. That’ll happen to Poppy?”

“No question. It is only a matter of time.”

“Then we have to go right now,” she said, pushing her chair back from the table. “We have to hurry, or Poppy will be turned into a zombie.”

“Impossible, and put the knife back on the table,” he said, barely pausing as he ate his breakfast.

Carla sneered as she slammed the butter knife down on the table. “Why is it impossible? Infections need time to take hold. It’s not instant.”

“I did not realize I was hosting an infectious disease expert.” He took another bite, chewing slowly as her scowl intensified.

“I won’t stand by and do nothing.”

“You will sit and do nothing. The ship is heading to a human-friendly settlement, and the course cannot be changed. Arrival is in two hours.” Once a destination was set, the ship’s computer locked the helm and the autopilot-controlled navigation. Perhaps it was possible to bypass the lockout, but Ari was not the ship’s original owner and did not have the override code. Piloting the ship himself avoided the trouble with the autopilot, but he had been rather occupied caring for the unconscious Carla. Reprogramming the ship’s computer would involve hiring a specialist, and Ari had already lamented at length about the difficulties the ship’s cargo created. He could not risk inviting just anyone aboard.

Yet he carried Carla aboard without a second thought and placed her in the center of the horde. Instinct told him that she belonged there.

He’d needed to reflect on that, but now was not the most opportune time.

“So that’s it? Nothing to be done?” Those were questions, but from the tone, Ari was not expected to answer. She glared at him, waiting for a response. He would not be so easily tricked.

Ari continued to eat his meal, ignoring her furious expression. “Sit. Eat. You’ve had a shock and need the energy.”

Carla tossed her hands in the air. “Fine. Whatever. You do what you want, but I’m not going to hang out with you and pretend it’s okay.”

She spun on her heel to leave the kitchen.

“Take something with you. Breakfast is the most vital meal of the day,” he called after her.

She paused at the door, made a noise of frustration, and stomped back to the table. She grabbed her plate, then took the uneaten half of the sweet roll from his plate. “This is because I’m starving, not because you said so.”

“I wouldn’t presume.” His tail thumped against his leg as he watched her march away.

Her loyalty to the Nakkoni was admirable. He doubted he had ever sparked emotions half so devoted. Jealousy was a useless emotion. It served no purpose. He wasn’t jealous of Poppy. The female was likely a mindless drone by now.

Carla could despise Ari to her heart’s content. Any attempts at a rescue would only result in them sharing that fate, and Ari’s sense of self-preservation overrode any desire to impress the female.