“What the fuck are you doing?” I ask. Because Iknowthey’re listening, but if they haven’t opened up a hole in the floor to save him yet, I don’t think they’re going to.
I yank myself out of Mooralan’s grip and turn into Ferrok, blocking as much of him as I can and I flinch when I hear the sound of the shot.
But the Trulavian is the one who makes the ugly noise of death.
Trembling, I look back over my shoulder and I see two portals: one suspended between us, one behind the Trulavian’s back.
He shot himself, even though he didn’t intend to.
The alien woman makes a startled shriek and yanks her hand back. She falls to the floor, shuddering and twitching as her eyes turn black and she chokes. A puncture wound on her own neck tells me that two more portals opened.
The relief makes me sag against Ferrok, who is not happy with me.
“What the fuck did you do that for?” he asks.
“Why the hell did you think I was going to just let you die?”
Mooralan grabs both of us, squashing us together. “Don’t either of you ever do that again. Do you hear me?”
My feet dangle, but I don’t care.
From here, I can see the bodies. I can also see the holes form beneath them, pulling them out of sight to… God knows where.
“There might be others,” I say quietly. “We’re not safe here.”
Phantom either hears me, or he’s come to the same conclusion.
A hole opens beneath us, too, and we drop… but they’re kind enough to let us land on our feet.
Phantom turns to each of us, one after another, stopping at Ferrok. “Perhaps you should lay low until you receive confirmation the bounty on you has been called off. Jade likes you, and I’d hate to see you lose your pretty head.”
CHAPTER 1
Phantom opens a portal to my front door. And once we’re inside, I close and immediately open it again… the portal is still there.
“Looks like we’re on house arrest,” I tell them.
They haven’t been to my apartment often, and I watch them move through the tight quarters—not meant for three. Mooralan suddenly remembers to take off his boots and sits down so abruptly, Ferrok almost falls with him. I have to press my lips together to keep from laughing.
“I guess it makes sense to stay here,” Ferrok says when he’s righted himself again. “Your apartment doesn’t have my name attached to it.”
“Not yet.” Mooralan puts his boots by the door before he says, “And by the time it does, the reason it is will be enough to make it safe.”
“How long do you think?” I ask as Mooralan wraps an arm around me.
“At least a standard week,” Ferrok says.
“You two will get to hang out here while I have to go to work…” Mooralan dips his head and kisses my neck. “That doesn’t sound particularly fair.”
“Take the week off,” I tell him, leaning into his hold.
Sighing, he says, “I don’t have the time.”
“I think you should be able to get days off when there are lives at risk.”
“Take unpaid leave,” Ferrok pushes Mooralan’s hair out of his eyes. “I have unexpectedly come into a bunch of money… I can make up the difference in what you’d lose, as long as no one calls in my debt.”
He’s joking, but still… “You know you don’t really owe me anything. Money or…anythingelse.”
