Page 21

"That's not what I implied…" I blustered, even though… yeah, I kinda wanted to know.

She tilted her head and arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

I waved my hand. "Can I just make sure you're okay without you freaking out?"

With a huff, she rose from the bed, standing spread eagle, arms and legs wide. "Knock yourself out."

I ran the wand over her torso and got a green light mostly. "Your stress level is a little high." I read.

"Wow, imagine that," she bit out.

Before I realized what she was doing, she ripped the wand from my hand. "My turn."

"Oh look, yourI have a bigger cockmeter is high." She giggled.

"There is no such—give me that thing." I ripped it from her hand, while she laughed so hard that she collapsed on the bed. I knew there was no such thing ascock meteron the wand. I did. Still, my eyes searched the readout quickly.

I put the wand back on its shelf, cursing myself for having been concerned about this female in the first place. She was still rolling on the bed, giggling, when my comm activated.

"Space Guardian Tharaax Zelker," my minder, Possedion,appeared in the center of the room, or more exactly, his hologram did.

On the bed, Hannah went thankfully still as she took in the Ohrur—who, to her, must have appeared out of nowhere—with wide eyes.

"Possedion," I greeted my new minder, hating him for the intrusion. "How do I deserve the pleasure of your time?"

"I've received alarming news from Emperor Daryus. It seems the delivery of humans to Astrionis has dwindled."

"Is that so? Well, I just rescued one, and we are on our way to Lord Protector Garth," I assured him, enjoying bringing Hannah into the conversation, not liking him seeing her. But it was better this way. He would have noticed her either way sooner or later and then would have asked why she was in my quarters, on my bed. As surreptitiously as possible, I tried to wave Hannah off the bed. Thankfully, she got the hint just as Possedion turned to look at her.

"Hannah, this is Possedion, my Ohrur minder. Possedion, Hannah."

Possedion barely spared her a glance. His attention turned fully back to me. "One?" he asked, raising a nonexistent eyebrow. Ohrurs didn't have any facial hair and only thick plates over their eyes.

"I accidentally freed her while taking a break after the last mission," I explained. "I thought it more prudent to take her to Astrionis instead of putting her in danger while running a… larger rescue mission."

Possedion didn't look happy about the news. "The emperor will not be pleased."

"You have three other Space Guardians running rescue missions," I fished.

"Two of which have already—" he interrupted himself. "Let me see your arm."

What?

A foreboding sensation spread through my gut. I tried to deflect. "Two of which have what?"

"Never mind that. Let me see your arm."

I peeled up the sleeve of my non-marked arm and held it out mockingly. "There, happy?"

"The other."

"I think I'd rather not," I told him and disconnected the call. The hologram of him vanished as quickly as it had appeared. For good measure, I set the comm to block any more incoming messages.

"That was strange," I mumbled, pulling up a larger holographic screen with my comm in the air.

"What's going on?" Hannah stepped next to me.

"I don't like this," I muttered.