Hotbloods 6: Allies

I shuddered, thinking of Killick. “Nice.”

“He won’t freeze me, anyway,” she assured me. “There’s honor amongst thieves, and I’m one of his crew members now. When a new person joins, he swears an oath never to use his power against them. So far, he hasn’t broken that promise.”

Doubtful that Stone would continue to keep his promise, I slid back the lock on the door and pushed it open, peering tentatively inside. Stone was lounging on a hammock he’d managed to make from a cut-up sack, which he’d somehow stretched between two towering shelving units. His hands were free, which didn’t really surprise me, but he was still wearing the leather strap across his third eye. He glanced up as we entered, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world, one leg dangling off the side of the hammock.

“Stone, you and I need to talk,” I said defiantly, moving closer.

He chuckled. “Nah, I don’t think we do.”

“It wasn’t really a request.”

“You forcin’ me to speak to you, now you’ve taken me freedom?” he asked thoughtfully. “An’ here was me, thinkin’ you’d be different. Lemme guess, that merevin Fed’s got you doing his dirty work?”

“No, I’m here for my own reasons.”

He cast a glance at Lauren. “What you doin’ with her, Ren? You decided to switch back now they’ve found ye? Can’t say I’d blame ye, though I’ll be fierce sorry to see you go.”

I looked at Lauren. “Ren?”

“New situation, new nickname.” Her cheeks flushed.

“Are you saying you won’t speak to us?” I pressed, annoyed by his casual attitude. “How’d you manage to get out of your cuffs, anyway?”

He grinned wolfishly. “Not the first time I’ve been caught in a pair of ‘em. There’s a knack to breaking ‘em. Easy, once ye know how.”

“Stone, stop being an idiot and help us out,” Lauren barked unexpectedly. “You aren’t going anywhere unless this ship takes you back to your crew, so you might as well start cooperating. There’s still a revenge bounty on your head, so if you go outside, you’re going to find it impossible to get a ship to take you out of the Junkyard. If you answer a few questions that my friends might have, I’m sure they’ll consider taking you wherever you need to go.”

I stared at her in shock, filled with a newfound respect. There was a startling authority in her voice that not even Stone could ignore. He was already sitting up straighter, looking at Lauren with a thoughtful expression.

“Ye make a fine argument, Ren. I’ll hear what they’ve got to say, if it pleases ye. I guess I owe you a favor or two,” he said, after a brief pause.

“Much appreciated,” she replied tersely, though a small smile was playing upon her lips.

“So, what’s it ye want to know?” Stone asked, his voice relentlessly calm.

“First, I want you to tell me what you know about Ezra and Orion,” I explained. “What are they up to? What have they asked you to scavenge for them? Have you noticed anything strange about them lately, or gotten any unusual requests?”

Stone shrugged. “Never had no dealings with the boss man, Orion. My deals are done with Ezra, and I keep it pure business. If I don’t ask no questions, I keep my heart beating.”

“That’s ridiculous. You must know something!” I said, exasperated. “What else has he asked you to get for him? The serrantium weapons must have been a nightmare to find, and he hasn’t given you the payment for them—you don’t need to protect him anymore. He’s not a good guy.”

“Never said he was, and never said I was protecting ‘im. He’s nowt to me but a business associate. Besides, I’d have had me money if you’d not stepped in, tryin’ to capture me,” he replied. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I understand why ye had to do it—Ren’s a rare bird—but it’s plain fact that ye muddled things up.” He never once raised his voice, keeping infuriatingly cool.

I, however, was starting to lose my temper. “You’re telling me you’ve never been curious? If Ezra is trying to get his hands on unbreakable weapons, then you must want to know what he wants them for!”

“People’s business is people’s business,” he said simply.

“What, and you don’t care about the consequences? You don’t want to know who he’s going to use those weapons on?”

This seemed to interest him, his eyes narrowing in thought. I realized I’d hit upon a sore spot, especially after what I’d overheard Lauren saying—Stone’s entire race had been wiped out. Of course, deep down, he was going to care about the fights his shipments ended up playing a part in.

Even so, he stayed as cool as a cucumber, a minor flicker of the eyes the only thing showing his true feelings. “No concern of mine.”

It was time for me to change tactics.

“Look, you might not want to tell me anything about your business deals, but you can definitely do something to help us.” I took a deep breath. “I want to make a deal with you, in exchange for your freedom.”





Chapter Twenty-Three





Lauren looked at me in shock. “But I thought you agreed with the others.”

“Stone, I want you to come with us to Earth, to destroy the rebel faction there,” I continued, not wanting to lose momentum. “Your powers are unique, and they could help us achieve the impossible. We need to get rid of Orion, Ezra, all of them, before they become an unstoppable force that we can’t do anything about. If that happens, they’ll wreak more havoc on the universe than any of us can imagine.”

He leveled his gaze at me. “So, you want me to be your weapon—I got that right?”

“Not a weapon, but we do need your powers to help us.”

He folded his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. “Not interested in playin’ a game of war, I’m afraid. No one wins.”

“I wouldn’t have had you down as a pacifist,” I retorted. “Is there some Draconian in you?”

He opened his eyes again, his expression amused. “I’ve more reason to be pacifist than anyone,” he countered. “Though, I should say, it’s not quite like you’re makin’ out. I’m not against necessary violence on a moral level, per se—‘tis more of a personal thing.”

“What, you just pick and choose what you care about?” I wanted to rile him up, but he was refusing to take the bait.

“No, I know my moral compass is a wee bit squint, but on the matter of war and murder it points true north,” he replied. “I’ve known death on a scale you’d not be able to picture. I come home and me family, me friends, me greatest love—all of ‘em snuffed out like candles in a storm. Blood everywhere, bodies pecked at by Anubis hawks, eyes blank and all foggy like. Not a breather amongst ‘em. I flew all across my planet, on the off chance I’d happen on a survivor, but it was the same all o’er.”

“Who did that?” I asked, remembering what Ronad had told me once, but wanting to hear it from Stone.

“Coldbloods,” he said. “They thought us ambakas were a risk—with our powers, which you seem just as set on, we were a threat to ‘em. We never once tried to attack or nothing, but our very existence was a problem for ‘em.”

“You were on a trade mission, is that right?”

He nodded. “I’ve never known guilt like it. What I felt was unbearable. The fourth day o’ searching, desperate to find a breather, I gave up. I curled in a ball and wished for the same fate as everyone else. I didn’t wanna be the only one, y’know? There’s nowt lonelier than that, lemme tell ye.”

“So, how come you’re alive? How come you made it out?” I urged, drawn in by his tragic tale. I’d almost forgotten the real reason we were even talking.

“A group o’ Stargazers came down in their ship and found me. I think they wanted to get a grasp on what the coldbloods had done, to gauge the balance of judgment, but happened across me while they were at it.”