time.”
Kiele relaxed under Anji’s hands, too fast. She let him go and leaned over him, checking his pulse. It was slow, too slow even for a T’An.
“Orlen—ˮ
“We have done all we can, Anji.” He lowered Kiele’s arms and stood. “Now it is time to face the demon who poisoned him.”
“Then turn around, Orlen.” A cold, feminine voice echoed across the room. The T’An who stood in the doorway was obviously Sonia; she radiated authority, and was a female version of Kiele, so striking Anji stared. Her next words snapped Anji out of her admiration. “I want to watch your face as you both die.”
She raised her arm. Before Anji had time to register the weapon in her hand Orlen shoved her out of the way, rocking back as he clutched the dagger buried in his chest.
“No!” Anji pushed to her feet and rushed Sonia. The T’An looked surprised, and Anji took advantage of that by slamming into her, knocking them both into the wall behind her. “Damn you—” Anji aimed both fists at her gills, but like all T’An, Sonia instinctively protected her back. So she changed tactics and went for Sonia’s face.
“Useless human.” Sonia picked her up like she weighed nothing and pinned her to the wall. “You think to…” Her voice faded, dark eyes narrowing as she stared at the tattoo on Anji’s left wrist. “He did not—my foolish nephew mated with you? A human who has no value?”
“He did.”
“Then you will join him in death.”
Sonia closed her hand around Anji’s throat and started to squeeze. Because Sonia was so polite to warn her, Anji already had her hand in her pocket when the T’An started to strangle her. She knew she didn’t have much time.
Her fingers closed over the laser screwdriver, fumbling for the switch, lightheaded from the slow, steady pressure on her throat. Sonia obviously wanted to stretch out the torture. That gave Anji the extra time she needed, because her hand had become floppy and hard to control. She jerked the screwdriver out of her pocket, hoped she’d pushed the switch in the right direction, and jammed it into Sonia’s stomach.
The laser flared, and Sonia screamed, letting go of Anji’s throat. She stumbled back, still screaming. Anji hit the floor, one hand on her throat, and blinked her vision clear. Her screwdriver worked even better than she hoped.
Sonia’s thin, floaty dress caught on fire, and she had to tear it off. An ugly, raw burn spread over her muscled stomach. She stared down at it, and by the time she lifted her head, the rage on her face twisted it into an ugly mask.
“You clumsy, stupid—” She switched into her own language, but Anji needed no translation.
She dove to one side when Sonia lunged forward and rolled across the floor. That quick move saved her life.
A dagger bounced off the stone where she had just been. Sonia shrieked, wearing only a small thong and heels as she chased after Anji.
Anji kept rolling—and trapped herself when she smacked into the bottom of the fountain. Smiling, Sonia lifted her right foot and slipped off her shoe, flinching at the movement.
“I have never killed one of you pathetic, weak humans with such a crude weapon. But you have earned it, and I will make certain you die slowly, and in more pain than you have ever experienced. I am a doctor, after all, and pride myself on my skills.”
Anji waited, terrified that she wouldn’t move fast enough—and threw her left arm up as the thin, deadly heel headed for her chest. Agony burst in her forearm, the heel puncturing, going all the way to the bone. She bit back a scream, tightened her shaky grip on the screwdriver, and pressed the tip against Sonia’s exposed breast.
Her high-pitched scream threatened to break Anji’s eardrums. Sonia jerked away from the source and landed on her back. Before she could retaliate again, Orlen appeared, a bloody dagger in his hand. He dropped to his knees and held the dagger next to her cheek, inches from her
Kiele relaxed under Anji’s hands, too fast. She let him go and leaned over him, checking his pulse. It was slow, too slow even for a T’An.
“Orlen—ˮ
“We have done all we can, Anji.” He lowered Kiele’s arms and stood. “Now it is time to face the demon who poisoned him.”
“Then turn around, Orlen.” A cold, feminine voice echoed across the room. The T’An who stood in the doorway was obviously Sonia; she radiated authority, and was a female version of Kiele, so striking Anji stared. Her next words snapped Anji out of her admiration. “I want to watch your face as you both die.”
She raised her arm. Before Anji had time to register the weapon in her hand Orlen shoved her out of the way, rocking back as he clutched the dagger buried in his chest.
“No!” Anji pushed to her feet and rushed Sonia. The T’An looked surprised, and Anji took advantage of that by slamming into her, knocking them both into the wall behind her. “Damn you—” Anji aimed both fists at her gills, but like all T’An, Sonia instinctively protected her back. So she changed tactics and went for Sonia’s face.
“Useless human.” Sonia picked her up like she weighed nothing and pinned her to the wall. “You think to…” Her voice faded, dark eyes narrowing as she stared at the tattoo on Anji’s left wrist. “He did not—my foolish nephew mated with you? A human who has no value?”
“He did.”
“Then you will join him in death.”
Sonia closed her hand around Anji’s throat and started to squeeze. Because Sonia was so polite to warn her, Anji already had her hand in her pocket when the T’An started to strangle her. She knew she didn’t have much time.
Her fingers closed over the laser screwdriver, fumbling for the switch, lightheaded from the slow, steady pressure on her throat. Sonia obviously wanted to stretch out the torture. That gave Anji the extra time she needed, because her hand had become floppy and hard to control. She jerked the screwdriver out of her pocket, hoped she’d pushed the switch in the right direction, and jammed it into Sonia’s stomach.
The laser flared, and Sonia screamed, letting go of Anji’s throat. She stumbled back, still screaming. Anji hit the floor, one hand on her throat, and blinked her vision clear. Her screwdriver worked even better than she hoped.
Sonia’s thin, floaty dress caught on fire, and she had to tear it off. An ugly, raw burn spread over her muscled stomach. She stared down at it, and by the time she lifted her head, the rage on her face twisted it into an ugly mask.
“You clumsy, stupid—” She switched into her own language, but Anji needed no translation.
She dove to one side when Sonia lunged forward and rolled across the floor. That quick move saved her life.
A dagger bounced off the stone where she had just been. Sonia shrieked, wearing only a small thong and heels as she chased after Anji.
Anji kept rolling—and trapped herself when she smacked into the bottom of the fountain. Smiling, Sonia lifted her right foot and slipped off her shoe, flinching at the movement.
“I have never killed one of you pathetic, weak humans with such a crude weapon. But you have earned it, and I will make certain you die slowly, and in more pain than you have ever experienced. I am a doctor, after all, and pride myself on my skills.”
Anji waited, terrified that she wouldn’t move fast enough—and threw her left arm up as the thin, deadly heel headed for her chest. Agony burst in her forearm, the heel puncturing, going all the way to the bone. She bit back a scream, tightened her shaky grip on the screwdriver, and pressed the tip against Sonia’s exposed breast.
Her high-pitched scream threatened to break Anji’s eardrums. Sonia jerked away from the source and landed on her back. Before she could retaliate again, Orlen appeared, a bloody dagger in his hand. He dropped to his knees and held the dagger next to her cheek, inches from her
Similar Books
