“Why does this ludicrous ship inform me you’ve been asleep for over ten hours, Arakiba?”
Ari jerked his head at the foot of the bed at the harsh derisive sound of a familiar masculine voice. Adapa. His eldest brother. Standing there with his arms crossed and a stern, narrow-eyed expression of disapproval with his fists clenched under his arms. It wasn’t until then he noticed his brother wasn’t talking to him in a psychic sense. The man was actually standing at the foot of his bed. In the flesh. Which meant he had to be close enough to teleport.
“Have you done anything while you were gone besides cater to your own pursuits?” Adapa snorted.
“I…”
“Did you even bother to find that woman you were supposed to?” Adapa looked around the compact room. “I gather you didn’t, because if you had, she’d probably be in bed with you right now.”
One moment, his brother stood in front of him, arms crossed, casting a familiar shadow of authority, and the next, there was a shift in the air. It wasn’t until he caught a subtle movement over Adapa’s shoulder that he realized Morgan had slipped into the room—silent as a predator stalking its prey.
Before he could react, Morgan was behind Adapa, her movements fluid and precise. In an instant, he glimpsed her pressing a small, sleek cylinder to the back of his brother’s neck, just below the base of his skull.
The device hummed faintly, its deadly potential unmistakable.
Ari’s breath hitched. How did she get behind Adapa so quickly, so quietly? Even his brother, one of the most seasoned psychic fighters he knew, hadn’t noticed her until it was too late.
“Don’t move,” Morgan’s voice was low, almost a whisper, laced with a band of steel.
Adapa froze. His body tensed at the sudden contact. He didn’t turn, didn’t react—only his eyes flicked toward Ari, a glint of surprise flashing across their dark depths.
Ari watched, his heart pounding. He’d seen Morgan’s intelligence, her strength, but this—this was something different. She had slipped past his brother’s defenses effortlessly, and now had him at her mercy.
“Morgan,” Ari began, his voice strained, unsure whether to be more shocked or impressed. His eyes flicked between the two, feeling the weight of the tension in the room. The way she handled herself, the way she moved—it was as if she’d been preparing for this moment her entire life. And he realized just how dangerous she could be when she needed to.
Adapa’s lips twisted into a smirk, though Ari could see the strain beneath his calm façade.
“Ah, so you did find her,” he said, the words slow, deliberate. “And surprise, surprise. Here she is in your bedchamber.”
Morgan didn’t move. “I warn you.” Her voice dripped with disdain. “Growing up around psychics like you taught me early on how to defend myself. I can react before you even realize I’m there.”
Adapa’s eyebrows rose.
“So, whoever you are, apologize to Ari. He’s been through a lot and doesn’t need shit from some asshole. What he needs is time to regain his strength, and he can’t do that with you bullying him.”
Ari guessed Morgan had pushed the weapon harder when Adapa flinched.
“Now.”
Adapa chuckled under his breath, but stayed perfectly still. “Damn, she’s a fierce one, Arakiba.”
A surge of pride mixed with disbelief consumed Ari. “Well, let’s not put her to the test on you.” He kept his voice calm despite his racing pulse. “Morgan, this is my eldest brother, Adapa.” He narrowed a glare at his brother. “Adapa, this is Morgan Jackson from the hidden city of Aethralis under Antarctica.”
Morgan backed away, taking her weapon with her. She stalked around Adapa, then faced him with a fierce scowl, her own arms crossed. Damn, he loved it when she did that. Even clothed.
Adapa’s dark brows rose. “Really? I wasn’t aware humans had a base there.”
“Humans don’t have a base there,” Morgan supplied, clipping the device in her hand onto the thick belt she had around her trim waist.
It was then Ari noticed it was her handheld multicorder. Either it could turn into a weapon, or she’d been bluffing.
Ari smirked and leaned back on the pillows with his hands behind his head. “Guess who her great-something grandfather is.”
The tension in Adapa’s jaw loosened. “Guessing games?” He snorted. “Okay, I’ll bite. Who’s her grandfather?”
“Rummeh.”
Adapa sucked in a breath. “The same Akurn who took Inanna to Earth’s surface all those centuries ago?”
