Pirate's Gold - S.J. Sanders Page 0,80

when the council learned of where I was going, they commanded it. There is no keeping anything from them for long—as you should know.”

Veral nodded and very slowly lowered Terri to her feet. His fingers flexed as he glared at the male he called cousin. “You will understand if I insist that I must decline.”

Kaylar’s smile widened, and he chuffed again. “Of course, naturally! Not that I think it will do you much good when you have lost a quarter of your vibrissae. It is a good look for you, however,” he said, with another laugh echoing around him.

Veral smiled in reply, his body loose as he faced off with the other male. Terri didn’t even see the attack coming. Veral rushed from her side, his claws out as he struck out with fury at the Argurma before him. She choked in surprise even as everything within her prayed for victory.

27

Azan watched dispassionately as Veral charged the newcomer. She really did not have a stake in this personal disagreement, but a life debt would be difficult to settle if the male she owed was locked up or dissected somewhere. With the Argurma, it was difficult to judge what the punishment may be.

Besides, she liked Terri. Azan was still of the opinion that the little female would fare better with her, but she was not one to try to take choices away. In any case, she had taken the opportunity to intercept the coordinates. She could always find a small, soft human of her own. It would seem like bad manners to accept or steal such a fine gift without even attempting to even the field of engagement between the Argurmas.

Sighing, she pulled out her modified blaster. It had one grenade capsule implant left in the attachment. She hated to waste it, but she did not wish to appear ungrateful either. It was difficult dancing on the right side of morality. Absolutely disgusting.

She squinted at the males as they tore into each other, metal-enhanced claws slashing at each other. Raising one hand, she glanced down at her own simple claws with a pang of envy. Perhaps once Veral straightened out the reason for being hunted down she could talk him into assisting her with acquiring the modification. He would have to be alive to do that.

Yes. That settles it.

Leaning down, she gently unwound Garswal’s arms from around her shoulders and gave his arm a firm pat. He was a good kid. She would watch out for him.

“Stay here, and stay low,” she whispered.

He nodded and ducked down behind the nearby pile of fallen rock. Azan nodded with approval before turning away to face the fray. Terri leaned heavily against a wall, her arm raised, the creepy symbiont flaring uselessly as she tried to work it beyond her available resources. The idea of tech that drew metals from blood so casually made her skin crawl, but she could not deny it was good defense for the human, so long as she did not exhaust herself.

Oh well. Azan to the rescue. She hoped no one got word of this.

Raising her blaster, she squinted at the males. Damned Argurma looked the same as far as she could tell. Where was the one with the damaged head whips… Ah, there he was. The other was her target. She pulled the trigger, the sound of the implant discharging a faint whistle. But he felt it when it implanted. The male jerked away from Veral, his body arching as he roared in agony.

That was the damned thing about the implants. They were designed to burrow deep into the body and attach to the bone. They could not be dug out. Even a medic would have a difficult time removing it without detonating it. A cold smile curled her lips as the male spun to her, his hand clutching his side. That had to hurt as it dug through all that tissue to attach to the spine. She was fairly certain that her aim had missed the vital organs.

A cold smile stretched wide across her face. “Now that I have your attention, I am afraid I cannot let you take my new… ah, friends. I have debts to repay, and it would be difficult for me to do that if I let you take them. That little sting you felt—ah, more than a sting I suppose—that was a grenade implant capsule. Oh, you have heard of them,” she said with a small laugh as the shock broke through