Captive - Cheryl Brooks Page 0,75

to live on such a world, no matter how much they were paid. Even the Nedwuts would probably jump at the chance to go home, unless their homeworld was in worse condition than Haedus Nine. Never having chatted with any of them for longer than it took to pay them off, she didn’t know anything about their planet.

“In that case, you’d better have your minions take me back to my cell. I have nothing further to say to you.” Turning her back on him, she started toward the door.

Pelarus’s raised his voice ever so slightly. “Do your friends mean so little to you? I wouldn’t have expected you to be so selfish.”

She spun around to face him. “You see, that’s the problem. You don’t know what to expect because you don’t know me. I, on the other hand, know you all too well. If I refuse to cooperate, others will suffer. All that will do is make more people hate you.”

He barked out a laugh. “In my experience, hatred doesn’t matter nearly as much as obedience.”

“You might be surprised,” she said dryly. “As I said before, you will fail. It’s only a matter of time.”

“We would appear to be engaged in a battle of wills. I wonder which of us will be the first to falter.” If his determined expression was any indication, Pelarus had no intention of wavering.

But then, neither did she.

Chapter 20

Klara assumed she would be taken to a prison cell guarded by six snarling Nedwuts. She hadn’t expected to be escorted to a luxurious suite attended by three tiny bird-like women with long silvery white hair, pale blue teardrop-shaped eyes, and even paler pink skin. They didn’t sound like birds when they spoke, though. Unless the birds on other worlds had more melodious voices than the harsh-voiced kradjet birds with which she was familiar.

“Where did you say you were from?” Klara asked the one who appeared to be the eldest and the one in charge, although because they were all dressed in identical blue tunics and leggings, it was difficult to tell.

“We are Zuteran,” the woman replied with an arrogant lift of her chin. “The Master refuses to have Haedusians serving him. They are much too ugly.”

Klara wasn’t sure the Zuterans were any better-looking. Well, maybe a little. Their hair was pretty, anyway. “I see. How did you come to be here on Haedus Nine?”

“That is a long story,” the woman replied. “I am Jaquet, and these ladies are Medras and Verdal.” She pointed to each of her companions.

Klara had no idea how she would ever be able to tell the other two apart. If Jaquet hadn’t appeared to be older, they might have been triplets. “You ladies need name tags.”

“That has been suggested,” Jaquet said with a sniff. “However, we find name tags to be rather uncouth. You will learn our names in time.” She hesitated briefly. “If that sort of thing is important to you.”

Clearly, these three wanted their names to be remembered rather than read off a tag. Klara couldn’t blame them. Reminding herself that she could tell the Racks apart was no help whatsoever since she had been the one to give them their names in the first place.

“So, what’s the drill here? Am I to be bathed in perfumed soap and anointed with oil or left to my own devices before being sent to the Master’s chambers?”

“That is for you to decide,” Jaquet replied. “However, should you wish to be bathed and anointed, we are here to assist you.”

“Hmm… What if I were to ask you to help me escape? What then?”

“We would be forced to decline. Escape is beyond our capabilities.” Jaquet didn’t bother to add that if escape were possible, the three of them would have done it already. At least, that was Klara’s take on it.

Their own story was bound to be interesting—and possibly helpful. “Do you want to escape?”

Jaquet’s unwavering gaze met hers. “I have already stated the impossibility of escape. For anyone.”

“Well then, I guess it’s up to me to prove you wrong because I have no intention of remaining here to become Pelarus’s slave or plaything or whatever he has in mind.”

“Marriage, I believe, is his intention.”

Klara shuddered. “Yeah. That’s what he said. I can’t imagine a worse fate.”

The corner of the tiny woman’s mouth lifted in a smirk. “Can’t you?”

“You’ve obviously never met Moe Tshevnoe or you wouldn’t be asking me that question. We are mated. For life. Pelarus doesn’t stand a chance.”

Jaquet let out