smoothly. Finally, he took a deep breath and glanced at her.
“Do you mean to tell me that you have supernatural powers? You can do more than fly? New supernatural powers that you have no control over?”
“No, I—”
“That’s right,” Hinekiri said. “And it wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t tried to interfere.”
“Will you let me speak?” Anger coursed through Janaya’s body. Hinekiri was so stubborn. The information that had surfaced on Dalcon came from a reliable source. If she’d had longer, Janaya would have extracted the truth from her informant, but with her aunt’s departure imminent, she’d run out of time. And that had made her nervous. Janaya sent a glower at her aunt, trying to glare her into submission. Instead, a fierce heat collected behind her eyes. Janaya squinted, seeing a bright violet light in front of her eyes. The light grew brighter. She blinked. Thin rays of violet shot from her eyes.
Hinekiri screamed.
Luke swore.
The vehicle swerved then ground to an abrupt halt.
Janaya gaped at the huge hole in the rear seat—right next to her aunt. Smoke wafted upward and a noxious odor filled the vehicle. Horror bled into trembling. She’d almost done the assassins’ work for them.
“Sorry,” she whispered, unable to look her aunt square in the face.
Looking at Luke was just as difficult. There was a huge hole in the rear of his vehicle. The road was visible through what had once been a perfectly good seat. Janaya thought about the number of credits in her safe box. Probably not enough to purchase a new seat for Luke.
“If you want to damage something, try the purple aliens outside. Any time now would be good.”
The urgency in Luke’s voice made her head jerk around. Three Torgon assassins stood in the middle of the road, their weapons extended in front of them. Janaya opened the door.
“Seat belt,” Hinekiri said.
A metallic clang indicated she’d released the harness while she issued the reminder.
Janaya heard her aunt lean forward to peer between the front seats. “Do you have your weapon?”
“I don’t think she needs a weapon,” Luke countered in a dry voice. “Just do that weird eye thing again and they’ll run for the hills.”
“I’m not sure I can.” Janaya didn’t take her gaze off the Torgon. She slid from the Land Cruiser. “There’s someone coming.”
“Hell.” Luke gunned the engine. “Do something. Quick.”
Luke’s panic beat at her mind, distracting her for an instant. One of the Torgon fired. The shot singed the top of her head.
Janaya yelped. She heard the hoarse, grating laughter of the Torgon and the rapid clicks as they communicated their glee and their plan of attack. By the sword, what was she going to do? She had no weapon. Another bodyguard rule she’d broken. But she’d been so rattled by what had happened last night with Luke she’d forgotten to pick up her weapon. Unfortunately, her mistake would get an innocent Earthman killed. And who knew what they’d do to Hinekiri to force her to give them her precious exploration charts.
The rattle of the approaching vehicle sounded louder now. As was the voice of the man who muttered under his breath. “It’s your father,” she said in horror.
“Bloody hell.” Luke pulled a gun from his glove box. He released his seat belt. “I’m not sitting here waiting for you to do something.”
Fury ignited inside Janaya and she directed it at the impossible Earthman who was forever trying to order her about. His pretty face and his sexual prowess didn’t mean he could walk all over her. She was a bodyguard in the Imperial force.
Her aunt gasped. “Don’t look at Luke!” she shrieked. “Aim at the Torgon.”
Even as her aunt gave the warning, Janaya felt intense heat building up behind her eyes.
Luke fired his gun.
Purple light filled her eyes, making everything shine with a lavender haze. Panic struck. She was still looking at Luke. Concentrate. Dammit, she was
“Do you mean to tell me that you have supernatural powers? You can do more than fly? New supernatural powers that you have no control over?”
“No, I—”
“That’s right,” Hinekiri said. “And it wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t tried to interfere.”
“Will you let me speak?” Anger coursed through Janaya’s body. Hinekiri was so stubborn. The information that had surfaced on Dalcon came from a reliable source. If she’d had longer, Janaya would have extracted the truth from her informant, but with her aunt’s departure imminent, she’d run out of time. And that had made her nervous. Janaya sent a glower at her aunt, trying to glare her into submission. Instead, a fierce heat collected behind her eyes. Janaya squinted, seeing a bright violet light in front of her eyes. The light grew brighter. She blinked. Thin rays of violet shot from her eyes.
Hinekiri screamed.
Luke swore.
The vehicle swerved then ground to an abrupt halt.
Janaya gaped at the huge hole in the rear seat—right next to her aunt. Smoke wafted upward and a noxious odor filled the vehicle. Horror bled into trembling. She’d almost done the assassins’ work for them.
“Sorry,” she whispered, unable to look her aunt square in the face.
Looking at Luke was just as difficult. There was a huge hole in the rear of his vehicle. The road was visible through what had once been a perfectly good seat. Janaya thought about the number of credits in her safe box. Probably not enough to purchase a new seat for Luke.
“If you want to damage something, try the purple aliens outside. Any time now would be good.”
The urgency in Luke’s voice made her head jerk around. Three Torgon assassins stood in the middle of the road, their weapons extended in front of them. Janaya opened the door.
“Seat belt,” Hinekiri said.
A metallic clang indicated she’d released the harness while she issued the reminder.
Janaya heard her aunt lean forward to peer between the front seats. “Do you have your weapon?”
“I don’t think she needs a weapon,” Luke countered in a dry voice. “Just do that weird eye thing again and they’ll run for the hills.”
“I’m not sure I can.” Janaya didn’t take her gaze off the Torgon. She slid from the Land Cruiser. “There’s someone coming.”
“Hell.” Luke gunned the engine. “Do something. Quick.”
Luke’s panic beat at her mind, distracting her for an instant. One of the Torgon fired. The shot singed the top of her head.
Janaya yelped. She heard the hoarse, grating laughter of the Torgon and the rapid clicks as they communicated their glee and their plan of attack. By the sword, what was she going to do? She had no weapon. Another bodyguard rule she’d broken. But she’d been so rattled by what had happened last night with Luke she’d forgotten to pick up her weapon. Unfortunately, her mistake would get an innocent Earthman killed. And who knew what they’d do to Hinekiri to force her to give them her precious exploration charts.
The rattle of the approaching vehicle sounded louder now. As was the voice of the man who muttered under his breath. “It’s your father,” she said in horror.
“Bloody hell.” Luke pulled a gun from his glove box. He released his seat belt. “I’m not sitting here waiting for you to do something.”
Fury ignited inside Janaya and she directed it at the impossible Earthman who was forever trying to order her about. His pretty face and his sexual prowess didn’t mean he could walk all over her. She was a bodyguard in the Imperial force.
Her aunt gasped. “Don’t look at Luke!” she shrieked. “Aim at the Torgon.”
Even as her aunt gave the warning, Janaya felt intense heat building up behind her eyes.
Luke fired his gun.
Purple light filled her eyes, making everything shine with a lavender haze. Panic struck. She was still looking at Luke. Concentrate. Dammit, she was
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