Page 24 of Champion (The Outlander Book Club… in Space! #6)

Once the door shut behind the last guard, Nansar took a step away from his throne, walking in a circle around me, never getting too close.

A faint breeze from the window tickled my nose, bringing his aroma to my nostrils.

It was sickly sweet, like burnt sugar, not the spicy, masculine scent Charick held.

“Goddess, you look just like her.”

“Isn’t that the point?” I quipped, letting faux arrogance settle over my demeanor.

“This is great!” Nansar clapped his hands together. “I bet you can even fool the Vaktaire.”

“No need.” I shrugged my shoulders as though what came next had no more meaning to me than the dust under my boots. “The Vaktaire is dead. I used him to get to her.” The words tasted bitter and lay thick on my tongue.

“Really?” Nansar seemed nearly gleeful at the news. I felt my hand close into a fist. I’d never wanted to punch anyone more. “What did you do with the body?”

“Hidden.” I shifted my stance, widening my feet as Nansar continued to circle me, pleasure in thinking his plan making him near giddy. “My ruse wouldn’t work very well if dead bodies started showing up.” I let a smile curve my lips— a real one—since I knew the bodies we’d hidden belonged to Nansar.

“True.” Nansar pursed his lips, abandoning his circling to return to his throne. “You are clear on your role?”

“Kill the Duke,” I said, trying to pretend the scheme tedious. We knew from our brief conversation with the Aljani guard Malakal that Nansar’s ultimate goal was his father’s death and that he’d planned for me to do it.

“Yes.” Nansar grinned broadly and viciously.

“But you won’t be able to just approach my father.

He’s always protected, and members of the Alliance Council will attend his birthday celebration.

I expect the number of his guards to double.

You’ll have to compete in the arena games as the human in order to gain access to my father. ”

I rolled my eyes as though I considered his plan a bother.

“Don’t worry,” he assured me with a perfunctory wave before settling back in his seat. “The gladiator games are merely an exhibition. I’ve promised the other contestants' freedom and riches to let you win. After you win the competition, you’ll be presented to my father as Champion.”

“Even the old warrior?” Nansar could not be clueless about how Adtovar had taken me under his wing. I didn’t believe for a second that Adtovar would take a dive, especially not for Nansar’s money.

“Adtovar?” Nansar scoffed with a roll of his eyes. “No, he has too much honor, but he would never hurt a female. Especially this one. He’s gone soft for the human. He’ll gladly fall on his sword for her.”

Nansar acted like Adtovar’s honor was a thing to be mocked. I shrugged, pretending I agreed when what I really wanted to do was slap the shit out of this petulant brat for the slight against my friend.

“You’re spending a great deal to kill the Duke,” I baited. “My fee goes without saying. I can only imagine the amount you’ll have to pay the other gladiators for their compliance.”

Nansar tipped his head back and laughed rather manically.

“I intend to pay them nothing. Once my father is dead, they will all fall under the blade of my Kerzak allies. Even now, Ambassador Yaard travels to Ajaxiun to ensure I assume the throne without difficulty. His warriors will take care of any loyal to my father.”

The Kerzak.

From my experience on the Korfu moon, I knew the creatures to be vicious and deadly.

I schooled my features to disinterest, despite the creep of foreboding prickling along my skin. “And how will I escape after I kill the Duke?” I thought it a reasonable question for an assassin.

Nansar waved a hand, giving a faint huff. “Easily. I’ll demand vengeance for my father’s death and have you turned over to me. After that, it’s just a matter of your shapeshifting into someone else and slipping away.”

I issued another shrug, trying to seem bored with the details.

Nansar studied me for a few moments, a devious smile growing on his face. With his pale skin, platinum hair, pearl horns, and pale green eyes, he might have been handsome in another life. Another life where he wasn’t such an asshole.

“I can’t believe how much you look like her. Is it hard to hold that form?”

“I can hold this form until I take another,” I replied, remembering Zahavi’s teaching that Zarpazians could hold a form for months and sometimes did until the job was done.

“But you could shift back into your own form and into her again if you wanted?” Nansar steepled his fingers, resting his chin atop them. Assessing or baiting? I couldn’t tell.

Shit, shit, shit, shit!

Zahavi had mentioned nothing about changing out of one form and back into it again. For lack of anything better, I went with the plot from an old movie, fairly certain Nansar had never seen the film Cat People .

“I could. But the more I shift forms, the more apt the form is to distort. With the female dead, I cannot draw her essence again.”

“Ahh! Then you must stay in her form until it is over.” He easily bought the lie, thank goodness.

“As you wish.” I nodded slowly, as though giving reverence to someone who would rule one day, even though the action made me nauseous.

“And the elder warrior? He has no suspicions?” Nansar shifted, slinging one long leg over the armrest of his chair.

“None so far. I’ve explained any inconsistencies in my demeanor as worry over the Vaktaire,” I lied smoothly and added for effect, “If he does become suspicious, I’ll kill him.

” I silenced the screaming in my brain by imagining Nansar taking the cut from my blade.

The knife felt hot against my thigh, and I itched to pull it free.

“Why did you tell Adtovar you wished to see me?”

“To ask you to look for the Vaktaire, of course.”

“Good thinking.” The green eyes narrowed. “I’ll need to make it look like the Vaktaire tried to escape and died in the attempt. I’ll send one of my guards to move and destroy his skiff later tonight while everyone sleeps.”

I shrugged again, nonchalantly. Seriously, I’d shrugged my shoulders more tonight than I had in my entire life.

“You need to get back.” Nansar stood, pacing with short steps back and forth before his throne. “We will travel to the citadel in the morning. The games will take place tomorrow afternoon before the birthday feast.”

I lowered my gaze, trying to hide the flash of surprise. Shit! That didn’t leave us a lot of time to plan. I swallowed back my perturbation and lifted my eyes, focusing on Nansar.

“I look forward to completing our agreement.”

Nansar grinned at me. God, I don’t think I’d ever wanted to slap anybody as badly in my life.

“You were worth every credit, Vreses. Every single credit.”

I issued a smug grin, as though knowing his words were the absolute truth. I couldn’t wait until Nansar found out a lowly human female killed his expensive assassin. With a curt nod, I turned on my heel and left Nansar pacing.

The guards crowded around the front of the building, watching me curiously as I exited and turned toward the arena, resisting the urge to run. Behind me, I heard Nansar’s bellowed summons and the scramble of feet in response.

The fiery orb of the sun had disappeared below the horizon, the stifling heat of the day giving way to a gentle coolness.

I walked quickly, forcibly keeping my feet from breaking into a run.

Thankfully, the shadows deepened, and it took only minutes to find a darkened corner away from prying eyes and ears.

Gulping in deep gasps of breath, I let myself sag against the cool stones, trying to hold back the revulsion and nerves from the last few minutes.

It was no use.

Clenching my churning stomach, I stumbled farther back into the darkened alley and vomited.