Hotbloods 6: Allies

It was becoming clearer that this guy was kind of a spoiled rich kid who had a good heart, but was a bit ignorant about life beyond the realms of his wealthy existence. He’d probably never had to do anything for himself in his entire life, and us stealing his ship and taking him hostage had been something of a shock. Now that he knew there was no danger, however, he seemed perfectly at ease with the situation, swimming around in the tub as though nothing was wrong.

“Do you think your friends will be worried about you?” I asked, remembering the two other merevins I’d seen him with.

Killick shook his head. “Goodness, no. They came on different ships and will be leaving on different ships. They probably figured I found a delightful young woman and took her away somewhere.” He flashed me a curious look. “I suppose that isn’t entirely a lie.”

I grimaced, feeling embarrassed. “Yeah, sorry about leading you on like that.”

“I enjoyed the charade while it lasted, fair maiden,” he replied, his cheeks flushing purple. “You were sublime in that gown, though you have a certain charm in these… peasant clothes.”

“Still not going to happen, Killick,” I said, chuckling.

“You do not find me attractive?” He looked crestfallen.

“Amphibians have never really been my thing, but I’m sure you’re lovely.”

He arched a mischievous eyebrow. “I can hold my breath for a really long time.”

Ignoring him, I changed the subject. “Anyway, I just wanted to come in here and explain what’s going on, in case you were worried,” I said. “The thing is, we’re trying to rescue our friend and save our home planet from a powerful enemy, and we need this ship to do that. So, if you could… hold off on reporting us to the authorities, that would be greatly appreciated. I realize I have no right to ask, but right now I’m not above begging.”

“A rescue mission?” Killick gasped, his eyes twinkling with excitement. “Please, you must allow me to assist you!”

“I wouldn’t want to put you in that kind of danger, Killick. You’re a prominent figure, given who your father is, and I wouldn’t want to upset anyone by getting you mixed up in trouble,” I replied quickly, praying he wouldn’t try to stay with us. I was already wrangling one too many errant additions to our crew; we didn’t need another.

“At least let me protect you!”

I frowned. “Protect us?”

“Yes, I will return home and lie to my father about this ship’s whereabouts,” he explained, grinning. “I will tell him that I gave it to some peasants, who were desperately in need of transport. And a new wardrobe.” I knew he didn’t mean any offense by what he said—he likely didn’t even realize he’d said something mildly insulting. I wasn’t about to point it out to him, considering he was essentially giving us his ship.

“You’d really do that?”

Killick splashed around delightedly. “I would, Miss Lapin! I will never forget your mercy or your boundless courage in the face of adversity. You are a queen amongst women, dear creature, and you should have a vessel to match your might.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say…” I paused, about to explain that what I’d done had nothing to do with mercy, because I’d never planned to hurt him, but I guessed it was probably easier to just accept his compliment. “Thank you for this, Killick. I will never forget your generosity and forgiveness.”

“It has been my pleasure, Miss Lapin.”

“Call me Riley, please.”

He swam up and took my hand, pressing it to his lips. “It has been a wondrous feat of serendipity, our meeting in this manner. I shall forever be grateful for it.”

“Thank you,” I repeated, feeling awkward. “Anyway, I should be getting back. I’ll be back soon to collect you, though. Will you be okay in the meantime?”

“I shall await your return!” Killick declared, before diving backward in a seamless arc, slicing through the water with barely a splash.

Taking that as my cue to go, I left the bathroom, wedging the door shut behind me. Stepping back out into the main body of the ship, I was surprised to find a smile on my face. After meeting both Agent Xiphio and Killick, I decided I rather liked merevins. They were a little strange, that was true, but they were undeniably charming.





Chapter Eleven





A few hours later, the escape pod was ready to go. Killick was in good spirits, shaking everyone’s hands and wishing us good luck in our endeavors.

“Ah, so you were in on it, too?” he cried cheerfully, clapping Navan on the back.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Navan muttered. I could tell he didn’t quite know how to deal with the effusive merevin.

Killick waved the apology away. “Don’t be ridiculous. Rescuers must do what rescuers must do! I would not stand in the way of triumph, or the salvation of your dear friend. I trust you will find her, wherever she may be,” he said brightly. “If you ever require further assistance, you will always be welcome in Almaghura. Mention my name, and you will be treated like royalty!”

“And what name might that be?” Mort asked, his tone curious. He’d morphed back into one of the Wander mechanics, not wanting to reveal his true face to the merevin.

“Killick Loligo. A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he replied, shaking Mort’s hand.

The shifter gasped. “The Supreme Minister’s son?”

“The very same!” Killick beamed proudly.

Mort whistled. “Well, cheers for being so accommodating.”

“It is my honor to play even the smallest part in such a noble cause,” Killick insisted. “Even so, might I ask which planet you are sending me to?”

Bashrik smiled kindly. “The pod is set to land on Twizig. It’s a trade planet, so you should be able to get a ride out easy enough.”

“Never fear, I will find my way home,” Killick assured him, laughing. “I have been in far worse scrapes than this. Once, I woke up on a meteor after three days on the sauce, with no memory of how I got there, and no ship in sight! Even then, I managed to return home with very little fuss, though my father wasn’t pleased.” He grinned, as if proud of the act.

We walked with him to the pod that Bashrik had set up, and stood around while Killick stepped inside, clutching several bags of his belongings and a credit device. He held up the latter, flashing a grin.

“Help yourself to any more of these you find on board. I am forever losing them, all over this ship. Clumsy of me, really, but credits are just credits, right? I have more than I will ever know what to do with!” He laughed delightedly, sliding the device into his pocket. “Besides, there are plenty more for me to lose back home. Once I get back, anyway!”

The pod itself was the size of the Snapper we’d used back on Vysanthe, with plenty of room and plush furnishings. He seemed happy enough as he stowed his things in the overhead cupboards and sat down.

“All good?” Bashrik asked.

“All good, coldblood!” Killick replied cheerily. “Ha, it almost rhymes!”

Bashrik rolled his eyes discreetly. “I’m going to seal the doors, and then autopilot should take over, okay?” he instructed, moving to the panel at the side of the pod entrance.

“Sounds excellent to me!”

Bashrik pressed several buttons, causing the exterior and interior hatches to slide down and lock into place with a hiss of hydraulics. I could still see Killick through a small window in the doors, and he appeared to be singing to himself as Bashrik went through the final stages of the ejection procedure. I wished I could hear what it sounded like, but the thick doors made it impossible.

A few seconds later, the pod disengaged with a jolt and floated off into the vacuum of space, a few jets burning brightly to move the pod in the right direction, heading for Twizig. I hoped he’d be okay, given what we’d put him through, and how generous he’d been with his ship.

“Right, now that fish-boy is gone, I’m taking a nap!” Mort announced, morphing back into his natural state and turning to walk toward the main space of the vessel.