secrets? Or maybe it was the Cretzian weapons they left behind at the first failed mission you entrusted to them! Go glare into a mirror, asshole! As usual, you are entirely to blame for this failure.”
With one giant step, he closed the distance between them and wrapped his fist around her throat. “I have tolerated your insolence because I wanted you in my bed. The novelty has worn off female. I will tolerate your attitude no longer.”
She dug her nails into his hand and pulled with all her might, but his firm grip remained constant. He wasn’t chocking her, just demonstrating his superior strength. Her magic was common at best, the primary reason she had fallen prey to the kwaris. Even so, she tried to force his hand away with a telekinetic pulse.
He just smirked. “Apologize.”
“I’m sorry for the sarcasm, but the points were valid,” she pointed out stubbornly. “Interrogating the mercenaries is doubtlessly how the rebels found Cretz.”
For just a millisecond his fingers tightened. Then he let go and lowered his arm. “We captured Velmar once. We can do so again.”
She shook her head and rubbed her neck even though he hadn’t bruised her. “No need. Velmar has officially outlived his usefulness. The objective is terminate not capture.”
He shot her an exasperated look. “Then why didn’t you let me kill him weeks ago?”
“I was hoping to find a way to control his power. It’s truly exceptional, but that possibility is no longer worth the risk.”
“Then I’ll take you home. You search your dimension for him and I’ll search mine. Whoever finds him kills him then notifies the other. Agreed?”
She’d had enough of this dismal planet anyway. “Agreed.”
Chapter Two
Dressed in a tunic and the synth-leather pants favored by most Sarronti males, Jaron leaned against the side of the transport and stared out into the darkness. Light from the interior of the ship provided an ambient glow while billions of stars flickered in the blue/black sky. Ayran had landed the ship on a moon orbiting a planet in the same star system as Cretz. Both worlds were about the same distance away from the sun, but their orbits kept them on opposite sides of the star. Though the moon possessed an atmosphere similar to Sarronti Prime, the only lifeforms to evolve here were flora.
Ayran walked down the ramp a few minutes later and joined Jaron near the front of the ship. “I don’t think we’re in danger of being attacked by ferns, but one of us should probably stay awake in case the Cretzians find a way to track us.”
Jaron nodded. All of their passengers reluctantly admitted that uninterrupted sleep was what they needed most right now. There was only one bed in the larger cabin, but the three females assured him that they would happily make due. Velmar doubtlessly collapsed onto one of the crew bunks as soon as he finished cleaning up, which left the other for either Jaron or Ayran.
“I’m wide awake,” Jaron said. “I’ll take the first shift of guard duty.”
Ayran nodded. “Wake me in four hours and we can switch.”
Before Ayran could leave, Jaron asked, “Any thoughts on how to get Velmar out of that collar?”
“Just the obvious. Protect his flesh the best we can then let me burn through the thing.”
Jaron shook his head but considered the possibility. “Your control is amazing, but the tiniest flare could sever an artery or damage his spine. It’s too dangerous.”
“Ayran is right. There’s no other choice,” Velmar argued as he came down the ramp. His basic appearance was much improved, but dark circles still shadowed his eyes, and his features were sharper than they’d been before his capture. “According to the guards, the alloy cannot be cut. It must be melted down and reformed. That means Ayran is my only hope. And I won’t be able to sleep until this thing is off me.” He held up one of the reflective, fireproof blankets from the emergency kit. “Let’s get it over with.”
“What about the heated cutters in the maintenance locker?” Jaron asked. “The scissoring action would keep the blades away from your skin.”
“We’d never get them under the collar,” Ayran argued before Velmar could respond.
“Why are you guys focused on the collar itself?” Nikki asked as she inched down the ramp. Dressed in the traditional flowing skirt and sleeveless tunic of a Sarronti female, she bore little resemblance to the traumatized female they had rescued earlier. Her light brown hair hung past her shoulders in soft waves. Her