my crew is currently waiting. The numerous molecules in my body pulsate with intent and energy, the vibrations growing in strength with each millisecond. They separate, allowing an in-between, a cavern of nothingness, and my physical form disappears from sight, leaving behind wisps of black smoke. I reappear in the middle of the common area, and my cells combine, solidify, and become a whole once more.
“Korix,” Radiq greets from the sofa. His sprawled limbs drape over the piece of furniture, dwarfing it. That is how his smile is, lazy and taking up the lower portion of his face. “You were not gone for very long. How was the negotiation?”
Drozir stalks into the room, his permanent scowl firmly in place. The tension radiating from him is more potent than usual. “Do we have a contract or not?”
I cut my gaze to his and arch a brow. “Your impatience is vexing, brother.”
He folds his arms and juts his chin in my direction. That is as close to an apology as I’ll ever see. Otherwise, Drozir would be bellowing his displeasure. Restraint is not his forte.
“Where is Zinnik?” I ask.
Radiq gives an exaggerated sigh, and his tail thumps the rug once, the sound muffled by the plushness of it. “He is out whoring, per his usual. I wouldn’t put it past him to try and double the current population of Lixis by impregnating every female available.”
“Better a natural birth than not.” Drozir’s yellow eyes burn with anger, growing brighter. “But I’d prefer Zinnik be more reserved in his approach when it comes to locating those he plans on fucking.”
I nod. “In that we are very much agreed.”
“And what is that exactly?” Azron strides into the room, his gaze zeroing in on me.
“That Zinnik sticks his cock in anything that breathes,” Radiq says with a grin, exposing his fangs.
I walk over to one of the empty chairs and take a seat, resting my elbows on the armrests. My brothers’ gazes, sans Zinnik’s, follow me with rapt attention, and the room goes deathly still. “We have a contract, and the payout is much larger than any of the others we’ve done in the past.” I raise my hand to quiet the group when they respond and continue only when they’ve grown silent once again. “However, this is unlike any delivery we have done before, since it will require us to transport sentient beings.”
Drozir shakes his head, his black mane of hair slicing through the air. “We don’t deal with slaves. It goes against everything we believe.”
“What species is it?” Azron asks, always levelheaded and curious. “And why now, after all this time, are we getting our hands dirty?”
I wait until the murmurs subside before speaking. “This life of thievery is supposed to be temporary, a means to an end. We all agreed to pool our resources together in order to establish a future worth living but also so we could exact revenge. With this payout we can do both.”
A puff of smoke forming in the center of the room announces Zinnik’s arrival a split second before his blue figure appears. The male’s face displays his ever-present lopsided grin, and his yellow gaze is illuminated with satisfaction. It isn’t hard to guess why.
“What are you ladies up to?” he asks, his tone irritatingly cheerful.
Drozir growls, making his displeasure known. As if it isn’t a constant with him. “We are getting details of our upcoming heist while you’re out fucking everything that moves.”
Zinnik’s grin morphs into a smirk. “If she doesn’t run, then what’s the challenge in that? I quite love the chase, relish it actually. Whatever DNA was put into us, I’m sure that thrill of the hunt correlates somehow.”
“If it does, it’s a strand the rest of us did not receive,” Radiq says. He jerks his chin in my direction. “Now let sagrath finish.”
The term is unknown to anyone except those present. It means leader, but from a language my brothers and I created during our time in captivity; that was one of the main factors that enabled us to escape. To have the ability to communicate without being understood was crucial, and even now I enjoy having something that belongs to only us.
We may not have come from a single species, yet we are one.
I tap the armrest of the chair and keep my breaths even while waiting for my brothers to settle. What I have to say will not go over well with them. Indeed, it’s not easy to ignore the churning in