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I leaned forward, barely breathing. Not many people impressed me, but this female? She was a bit too bloodthirsty for my taste, but I was glad she seemed to be on our team.

"This will first make you sick like the dog you are and then slowly kill you. You're going to vomit and get a stomach ache from hell. One that will even penetrateyourmind. Trust me. This poison will work its way through your system within an hour. A very painful, disgusting hour. You'll be puking your guts out, literally, until there's nothing left to come out. Next, your lungs will liquefy and slowly drown you from the inside. Remember the wet shirt on your face?" All eyes were riveted on this female. "That's nothing compared to what you will experience next."

With that, she violently took his head, tilted it back, and plugged his nostrils until he took a gasping breath. That's when she poured a liquid substance into his mouth and forced it closed by pressing against his jaw before massaging his neck.

Possedion glared spitefully at her.

I didn't think any of us breathed. A quick glance at Vraax told me that the male was utterly enraptured by the female, unable to look away from her.

It didn't take long before Possedion's body began to spasm. His eyes bulged. Sloane moved back a few paces, her hands folded behind her back. "Tick tock," she intoned, "that's just the beginning."

What came out of Possedion's mouth was disgusting, black, and stank the room up like a week's old cadaver. He spasmed more and held his stomach with his one remaining hand.

Sloane waved the healing wand. "It can all go away. Just say the word."

"What do you want?" Possedion pressed out between heaving and panting. His face was distorted by fear.

"How can we get to Darlam without being shot down?"

"Only at least three Ohrurs can breach the forcefield." Possedion insisted.

"You know what?" Sloane leaned forward, getting into his face, closer than I would have considering his volatile stomach. "I don't believe you."

She turned her back. "I think I was wrong. Can you guys capture another one of his kind? Maybe that one will be more talkative."

"No problem." Raasla pushed himself off the wall. Apparently, he was in sync with the human female, whereas I was trying to figure out who else we could capture. It would be easier with more of us, but when I remembered the young Space Guardian I was forced to kill, my stomach roiled. I stillfelt deeply guilty over it. I wasn't sure if I could do it again if I had to.

For Hannah, you will, a voice assured me,again and again.

"Let's go, boys. No sense in watching this pathetic show of him slowly drowning himself." Sloane waved her hand in the air and astonishingly, all of us fell in step behind her.

"Wait!" Possedion cried.

Sloane turned by the door. Looking bored.

"Why? You don't have anything to tell us."

"You can bring Darlams." Possedion pushed out. "At least three Ohrurs are required, but Darlams can be onboard."

Sloane threw a triumphant grin at us while heat rushed through me. The female had done the impossible.

"Just to make sure you're not lying, you know you will be aboard too, right?" Sloane petted Possedion on the head while he glared up at her with so much hate it would have felled a lesser person. Sloane only laughed as she walked to the exit, where she turned around. "Oh, one more thing, decode the encrypted Space Guardians' names." She nodded at me and I handed Possedion my comm. He looked baleful but entered the required commands.

"Now heal me," Possedion pleaded.

"We still need him," Vraax cautioned.

"Oh, for the love of God." Exasperated, Sloane walked over to Possedion, waved the wand up and down, and I noticed that it was still turned off. I creased my forehead but decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"You'll still feel some after-effects, but you won't die," Sloane told him.

Outside, Noodar said, "That wasn't poison, was it?"

Sloan shook her head. "Just something your… mate brewed up to make him sick."

"Nicely done," Vraax praised, besotted, staring at her.

"I take it the females filled you in on everything?" I asked Sloane.