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He grabs my left arm –hard. I gasp as he stretches my arm out, running one of his huge fingers carefully over the skin. His touch sends shivers down my body – and I’m ashamed to admit that it’s not from fear.

I wonder if he feels it too? That electricity?

I don’t get an answer to that question – because what Dacciadoesfeel instantly becomes obvious. His index finger brushes over the raised bump in my skin where the shift-blocking device is concealed. The tiny button I used to activate it is almost too small to see, but you canfeelit beneath the skin.

Daccia looks up – staring deeply into me with those implacable, slate-grey eyes of his. They’re like the eyes of a statue - and they give nothing away.

I swallow uncomfortably. It feels like Daccia’s reading my mind – like he’ll be able to sniff out a lie even before I utter it.

“Is this youronlymodification?”

I nod, hoping I can make the lie believable. “Yes. My only one.”

Daccia stares me down. The seconds tick by, but he still doesn’t let go of my arm. Finally, just when I don’t think I can take the tension any longer, he drops my arm, letting it fall limply to my side.

“We’ll see about that. Follow me.Now.”

His voice is a stern command – and for a second, I’m powerless to resist it.

As Daccia turns, my legs attempt to move without thought – instinctively obeying him. Instead, though, Iforcemyself to stay still.

Ican'tlet this Aurelien march me to the medical bay. If he conducts an examination of me, he'll find the one last modification I have left – a device concealed in my right arm that allows me to give a powerful electric shock to anyone touching me.

It’s my weapon of last resort – and the battery, which recharges from my own body heat, has the power to work the device once per day.

Gods – I wish I’d used it on that fucking Toad, Obbit, when he’d first grabbed me, back at Spur’s joint. Then I wouldn’t even be in this mess.

But Iamin this mess – and I have a feeling that concealed shock-weapon might save my life soon enough. For that reason, I can’t let Daccia discover it – or remove it.

Without that shock device, I'd feel completely naked and helpless – not to mention, I’d earn myself even more punishment for concealing a potentially deadly weapon on an Aurelian spaceship,andfor lying to Daccia about it just moments earlier.

So, I stand firm and shake my head.

"No! Youcan'tmake me.” That’s true enough. Aurelian laws are cruel and cold – but fair. No prisoner may undergo a medical examination without consent. “It's not allowed!"

Daccia turns back to face me, and he seems unsurprised by my answer. He reaches forward and wraps his hand around my arm before I can pull away again. The moment his steel grip tightens, I gasp in discomfort.

Fuck! I can't move an inch, he's that fucking strong.

Daccia hold me firmly, and doesn't even flinch as I try to pull away. I assume he knows my attempts to yank my arm free are as futile as I do.

"You used a device that jammed our interstellar travel,” the Aurelian eventually growls. “By Article Five-B of the Aurelian Criminal Code, Iamauthorized to conduct a full search if there is reasonable suspicion that you have tech concealed on orinyour body.” The Aurelian’s eyes narrow. “You can come with me, Allie – or I canmakeyou come with me."

A full search – for tech concealed on orinmy body?

I know what that means. While my two pieces of techareinside my body – hidden in those pockets beneath my skin – that’s not what such a search would entail. He means insideotherparts of me…

…privateparts.

Shame suddenly fills me – and I almost laugh at the irony of it.

I’ve been making my living exposing myself on stage for years – and yet I still fear the humiliation of a medical exam by one of these Aurelian warriors.

I shake my head, suddenly mute – unable to protest.

Daccia nods. He doesn’t respond to my refusal with words. Instead, he justpullsme behind him – as though I’m weightless. I stumble forward, yanked by the iron grip on my arm, suddenly forced to keep up with him as he strides down the hallway on his long legs.

It’s difficult to keep up – but the alternative would be getting dragged behind him across the floor.