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Anyone can tell that’s not metal,claimed another comment.She, and her expertise, begged to differ.

Probably an ancient dragon egg. Try dropping it in a lava stream to see if it will hatch.Given she’d roasted it hot enough to melt rock, she doubted the suggestion would do anything.

How much for it?A direct message from Seeker419.

Sell it? She wasn’t averse to making a few bucks. Before she could reply, the next DM stated,I’ll give you a thousand bucks.

The offer raised her brows. That was quite the chunk of change for something that had cost her a dollar. Tempting, but at the same time, it made her wonder, what did Seeker419 know? And would they offer higher?

She replied with,Not for sale. Just looking for ideas on how I can use it.

It’s useless to you. I’ll give you ten K for it.

Ten! Holy fuck, the shit she could buy with that. But why, if it was so useless, would they be wanting to spend that much?

Is this some kind of ancient artifact?That might explain their eagerness to claim it.

Twenty thousand. Final offer.

Zora stared at the screen in disbelief. Twenty fucking thousand. Their desperation shone through. Would they offer more?

Let me think about it.

She logged off and leaned back in her seat, contemplating the sphere. She grabbed it, her fingertips tingling each time she touched it.

“What are you?” she murmured. Did it really matter? Even if she could figure out how to use it, she’d never make that much money selling whatever she created with it. Perhaps she should tell Seeker419 she accepted before they changed their mind.

In the morning. Perhaps by then, they’d have sweetened the deal a bit more.

For some reason, she took the metal ball to bed with her, and had a dream of a dark place with a voice that yelled,Wake up!

Zora’s eyes shot open just as someone slapped a damp cloth over her mouth and nose. The acrid stench of whatever coated it made her eyes water and close.

She woke—who knew how much later—in a locked room that looked an awful lot like a cell with its concrete walls and a thin pad on the floor. No window, just a single metal door that wouldn’t budge, no matter how hard she yanked.

Fear had her heart pounding, and panic had her screaming, “What the fuck? Let me out.”

To her surprise, she got a reply.

“You should have accepted the offer.”

CHAPTER 1

Capricorn crouched behind a wooden crate,waiting. He kept his breathing shallow lest it be heard. Hunting took patience. The slightest movement, sound, even a soft exhalation, could give away his position.

The sword in his hand fit comfortably. Some of his brothers liked to rely on firearms. Capricorn tended to choose what fit the situation. A gun could be practical in some fights, the long-range missile giving a kill without getting close, but sometimes silence was needed, and for that, a sharp blade did the trick.

The hairs on his nape lifted, and without even turning to look, Capricorn whirled and swung, scything his sword across the creature that crept up behind. He took it out just above the joint for its leg, toppling the oversized hairy beast. Another twirl took its head.

Victory!

The training simulation suddenly faded to show a flashing message midair.Aries wants you in his office asap.

The boss must have a new mission. Sweet. Training in the safety of Tower was all well and good, but Capricorn preferred to be in the field actually making a difference. As a Zodiac Warrior, he had a duty to protect Earth and its inhabitants fromthe monsters that human law enforcement was ill-equipped to handle.

He exited the chamber they used for battle simulation and headed up the stairs, wondering where he’d be going next. Hopefully, somewhere warm. While the cold didn’t affect the warriors, he preferred the freedom of movement that came with having to wear fewer layers so he didn’t stand out. People tended to remark on a guy standing out in freezing weather wearing only a T-shirt and shorts.

A brisk knock on the bossman’s door led to a shouted, “Come in.”