Shaalyn always did love a gaudy bit of jewelry. No wonder she's always keffing broke. "I'm not in the mood for games, darling. Tell me what I need to know, or my boys might have to pry it out of you."
I glance around the room. Six pirates other than Shaalyn, now. All mesakkah, all heavily armed. All younger than me and probably all in love with her fierce, dangerous ways and desperate to impress her. I have no doubt they'd get creative with torture in order to squeeze information out of me. Lucky for both of us that I excel at running my mouth. "Went out exploring. Ran into a bit of trouble with our ride, and so my brothers left me to hold things down while they regroup." I shrug, trying to seem casual. "They'll be back any moment now."
It's a bluff, of course. Yes, my brothers will be coming back, but I have no idea when. It might be another week. It might be three.
Shaalyn taps a finger under my chin. "Aw. That's sweet. You think they're coming back. Darling, how do you think I got here?"
My gut clenches. It's the answer I fear the most, but also the one that makes the most sense. But I have a role to play, and I'm determined to keep on playing it. I smile brightly. "How do I think you got here? Intelligent flying and sharp skills? But I guess not. Those haven't been your forte. You're best at stealing other people's toys and claiming them for yourself."
She slaps my cheek. Not enough to make my head turn, just enough to let me know she doesn't like my little dig. "We intercepted your brother's escape pod, you idiot. He didn't want to say anything, either, but when his little human was threatened, he sang like an avian." Shaalyn's fingers dig into my skin, her touch turning cruel. "They're dead now."
I won't believe it. I can't. Instead, I try to focus on what Shaalyn said. Escape pod. My brother with a human. It must have been Kaspar. Must have. And if they intercepted the escape pod, Kaspar didn't have to tell them anything. Any decent pirate worth their credits would just space the occupants and download the flight route from the pod, follow it back to the source. Kaspar would never say a thing. "You're full of shit."
"Am I? He told me that you have an entire hold full of human slaves, just waiting to be sold." Her mouth curves prettily and she taps my chin again. "And he told me you stayed here with one to keep you company. Slumming a little since I left you, darling?"
"Actually, the slumming was when I was with you—"
CRACK.
Stars flash in front of my eyes as the side of my cheek explodes in pain. Dimly, I realize one of Shaalyn's goons used the butt of his blaster on my face. Guess he didn't like that comment about her. I tense, waiting, because I'm afraid that Jade's going to blow her cover if they hurt me. As long as she's in that wall, she's safe. They can't hurt her if they can't find her.
Shaalyn frowns at the soldier to my side. "Darling, don't hurt him before he tells us what we want."
"There's no human here," I lie, rubbing my throbbing jaw. "Just take the ones in the hold and leave me here. I won't stop you." It's a bluff, of course. I can't stop them either way, but it never hurts to throw the idea out there.
"I want all the humans," Shaalyn says softly. "Including the one you're hiding. I don't believe in leaving a credit behind. You know that."
I do. Shaalyn is as cheap as she is keffing ruthless. I glance up at her, her lovely features ice cold. They do nothing for me now. All I can think about is Jade, and how I need to keep her safe. How can I fix this? If I grab Shaalyn, can I kill her before the others kill me? Probably not, but I'm willing to take that risk, as long as it keeps Jade safe. The problem is, if they attack me, I can't be certain that she'll stay hidden. She'll want to help me, and then we'll both be keffed.
"There's no human," I say again. "Other than the ones in the hold."
Shaalyn sighs heavily. "Darling, you are nothing if not utterly predictable. Tell me where you're hiding her or we'll start flushing the air