Hotbloods 6: Allies

As selfish as it sounded, I almost cared more about Lauren than the immortality elixir. At the thought of my best friend, out there in the hands of a three-eyed criminal, not knowing if she was enslaved, or dead, or worse, real tears sprang to my eyes, one solitary droplet rolling silently down my cheek. I’d gone from spy movie to film noir in the space of a few minutes.

“Can I offer you a handkerchief, miss?” a voice asked. I turned to see Killick standing there, one arm bent behind his back like he was an old-fashioned gentleman, while his other hand held a rose that had been crafted from a tissue. He clearly saw himself as my knight in shining armor, and I was happy for him to believe it.

“Thank you, kind sir,” I replied, taking the tissue bloom and dabbing a petal gently to my eyes.

“May I sit?”

I nodded, gesturing at the stool opposite. “If you have the time to spare.”

“Certainly, for a beauty like you,” he said charmingly. “What troubles you, if it’s not an impolite question to ask?”

I turned back toward the window. “I recently lost a friend and am trying to distract myself. I was hoping to spend some time on one of the moons near Phnossos, to recover from my ordeal, but I keep running into all the wrong guys,” I said with a sigh, struggling to remember which specific moon the powder-room socialite had mentioned. “And I hate spending time alone on beaches. I always think it’s a travesty to swim alone, you know?”

“Well, funny you should mention it—my kind are renowned for our swimming capabilities,” he replied, opening and closing his gills in apparent excitement.

“Oh?” I opened my eyes wide, feigning ignorance.

“It’s a stunning place, but its rare beauty pales in comparison to you,” he said. “The way our oceans glitter seems dull and dim, now that I’ve seen the twinkle in your eyes.”

I covered a cringe-induced giggle, making it seem flirtatious instead. “You flatter me, and I don’t even know your name.”

“I’m Killick Loligo. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

I held out my hand for him to take. “I’m Jezebel Lapin.”

He lifted my hand to his plump, fishy lips, smacking them together as he planted a kiss on my skin. It felt cold and unpleasant, but I did everything I could to look like I was enjoying the attention. I was conscious of Navan, watching from somewhere close by. Knowing him the way I did, he wouldn’t be able to help himself from doing so—he needed to make sure I was okay.

“So, you want some company to the moons of Phnossos?” he asked, relinquishing my hand.

“Only if you’re the right kind of guy.” I fluttered my eyelashes. “I’ve had enough of all the wrong kinds of men. I’m only interested in a true gentleman who isn’t going to make false promises he never intends to keep.”

“Then, Miss Lapin, your search is over.”

“All men say that, but it only ends in disappointment.” I sighed sadly, ramping up the vulnerable, lost maiden act. “I’ve searched all over the universe, Killick, looking for someone who can be romantic and kind, who will adore me and be adored by me, but I always end up alone, nursing a cocktail on a port-planet.”

I remembered what Mort had said about merevins—they were hopeless romantics. They weren’t the kind of men who would be after a cheap date. I wanted to make it seem like I was everything he’d been looking for: the kind of female who was after true love, instead of every penny he owned. With a pang, I realized how cruel it was to lead him on like this, but I had to remember what was at stake.

“This is the last port-planet you will ever have to do that in, Miss Lapin. If you come with me, I promise I can show you the universe’s most beautiful secrets, and perhaps we can discover some more… together.” The hopeful glint in his eyes made me feel sorry for him.

“Do you mean it?”

“From the bottom of my hearts.”

I smiled, coyly glancing up at him. “Is your ship fast?”

“The fastest.”

“Is it beautiful?”

“Not nearly as beautiful as you,” he murmured.

“Will it take me to the beaches of Phnossos?”

“And beyond, my dear.”

I reached out and touched his cheek. “Then what are we still doing here?”

I heard a glass shatter somewhere behind me, and turned to see Navan standing in the shadows, broken shards tumbling down from the ledge beside him. Evidently, he was trying to keep his cool, but he was threatening to blow my cover. Fortunately for me, Killick was only interested in my face and the plunging neckline of my dress.

“Shall we?” the merevin asked, reaching to cover my hand with his.

“Take me to the stars, Killick.” I giggled, allowing him to take my hand and lead me out of the Galactis Club. I saw him flash an excited look over his shoulder, at the friend he’d abandoned, who gave a strange flap of his gills that I presumed was the merevin version of a thumbs-up.

I slipped my arm through Killick’s as we made our way down the staircase, keeping my attention on him, though I could see my friends clustered at the bottom of the stairwell, tucked into the shadows. Navan would fill them in. I was nervous about getting this far with the merevin. There was no telling what tricks he might try, once we boarded his ship.

The only thing making me feel better was the ease with which the others had taken Xiphio down. Even Angie had managed to slip the cord around the agent’s hands without much of a struggle. Hopefully, if it came to it, I could do the same.





Chapter Eight





Killick and I wandered down the central avenue, where the sleek ships were docked, and stopped beside one that had been parked toward the middle. It was a gleaming, streamlined cruiser, similar to the one Mort had gone to look at earlier, and I didn’t need to know much about these ships to understand it had cost a fair amount.

“This is my home when I am traveling, Miss Lapin,” Killick explained, leading me up a set of steps and pressing his hand to a biometrics panel. “I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.”

A hatch materialized in the metal exterior, as if from nowhere, opening silently. I clung on to his hand as he pulled me inside, turning discreetly to find that the others had followed. They were keeping a safe distance, tucked behind the neighboring cruiser. At least they’d be close by if anything went wrong.

Inside, it was like I’d stepped into the lobby of the universe’s most lavish hotel. Chandeliers dangled from the curved roof, the light glinting like the cascading droplets of a waterfall, and the floor was covered in plush rugs and furs of unknown creatures. Soft, atmospheric music was playing, and the lamps had been dimmed to set the mood. Evidently, Killick had been expecting some kind of company—I’d just been the woman he’d settled for.

“Would you care for a drink, Miss Lapin?” he asked, moving across to a mini-bar, while I took a closer look around. A hatch opened into the cockpit, but the lights were off, the engine dormant. I’d been expecting someone like Killick to have staff, but there was no one in sight.

“I’d love a glass of Liberatum,” I said, though I had no idea what it was.

“Ah, a woman of expensive tastes. I imagine you like to be treated well. You certainly look as though you deserve to be treated well,” he purred, reaching for a bottle of something inside the cabinet of his mini-bar. He poured two glasses and turned, his hands full.

“I love to be treated properly.”

I sashayed up to him, praying I looked sexy enough to keep him distracted. His huge eyes were fixed on my body, watching it move beneath the silky fabric. Smiling seductively, I slipped my arms around his waist, reaching for the heavy bottle of liquor that he’d left on the counter behind him. Gazing up into his eyes, I flattened my palm and brought it down on the side of his neck, using the Aksavdo move I’d learned to immobilize people. After all, I didn’t want to kill him—I just wanted to knock him out for a while.