skin had a golden tint that generally meant a human enjoyed the outdoors. Jaron hadn’t realized how pretty she was while they focused on the rescue. Her eyes especially, were a lovely shade of blue. “Wouldn’t it be easier to hack the lock than burn through an indestructible alloy?”
Waiting until she reached the ground, Velmar said, “The lock requires a sample of Hastos’ DNA. I don’t suppose you have one, do you?”
Velmar seldom bothered with social conventions. However, he wasn’t usually as rude as he had been to Nikki ever since they met. “She’s trying to be helpful, Vel. There’s no need to—”
“I appreciate the assistance, but I’m perfectly capable of defending myself.”
Her chin lifted and her shoulders squared as she faced off with Velmar. She placed her hands on her hips and the blouse tightened across the tantalizing curve of her breasts. Desire rushed through Jaron with predictable results. He shifted position, hoping to hide the sudden tightness of his pants.
“I’d just finished dressing when I noticed that the sonic pulses hadn’t gotten rid of the grime under my fingernails.” The fire in her eyes and the heightened color in her cheeks made her even more appealing. Jaron loved spirited females and few had the backbone to stand up to Velmar. Of course, Nikki only knew Velmar as a weakened captive in need of rescue. “I was about to find a knife, so I could scrape it away when I had a flash of memory. The last time they took me, I scratched Hastos’ face hard enough to make him bleed. So the answer to your question, smart ass, is yes, I do have his DNA. Or there’s a chance I do anyway.”
Velmar grabbed her wrist and turned her hand toward the light.
“Could it really be that simple?” Ayran sounded doubtful for good reason. Nothing ever was.
“Only one way to find out.” Jaron pulled the knife out of his boot and moved closer to Nikki. “May I?”
Tugging her wrist out of Velmar’s hold with more force than necessary, she offered her hand to Jaron with a tentative smile.
How could he not have spotted those eyes and that kissable mouth? It didn’t matter how stressful the situation was, he always noticed attractive females and this one was more attractive than most. He carefully scraped beneath each of her fingernails then turned to Velmar. Velmar had already pulled up his hair and turned away, giving Jaron access to the back of the collar. Spreading the grime across the biometric trigger, Jaron held his breath. The collar hissed and a small gap formed in the alloy, but the circle remained rigid.
Velmar tugged on the device with both hands, clearly infuriated by the delay. “The lock released. I heard it, but my abilities are still suppressed. What the hells does this thing want?”
Ayran created a yellowish glow in the palm of his hand and examined the collar more closely. “Shit. There’s some sort of hinge right here with another trigger. Did you use all of the DNA?”
Nikki was staring at Ayran’s palm in wide-eyed wonder. “How are you doing that?”
Ayran winked at her. “Trade secret. Did you only scratch Hastos with your right hand?”
“I think so. Sorry.”
Jaron meticulously scraped the insubstantial substance off the first scanner and transferred it to the second. They all paused, silently waiting for some reaction.
Nothing happened.
“Damn it,” Velmar muttered as he rubbed his forehead. He looked at Nikki, his expression less hostile than before. “It was a clever idea. Thank you for trying.”
She nodded, appearing surprised by Velmar’s graciousness. “I’m sorry it didn’t work.”
Dreading what came next, Jaron slipped the flame-retardant blanket under the collar, working it around until Velmar’s neck was protected as well as possible. “Where are you going to cut?” Jaron asked Ayran.
“Directly across from the lock,” Ayran sounded as if he’d just made the decision. “I know nothing about anatomy. Velmar, do you have a preference where I position the target?”
Eyes closed, entire body tense, Velmar just shook his head.
Ayran twisted his hair into a coil then stuffed it down the back of his tunic. “Hold perfectly still.”
Jaron looked at Nikki. If she’d been awed by Ayran’s light trick, she was going to love this.
Ayran stilled, pausing to center his focus and gather energy. He slowly extended his right hand, and the palm began to glow. He created the same yellowish light he’d used before but kept going this time. His palm turned orange, then pulsing red. Crimson light burst from his eyes as