Chapter 34
He wasn’t sure if ropes and a gag were good enough, but Nojan didn’t know how to bind a demon with the power to snare you in its hallucinations. They were back on his cruiser, the transport in tow. Sanri was tied to one of the chairs, her body slack in her bindings.
“Whatever we do, we have to do it quick,” he said to Mayra as he hit the controls, trying to reach his brother.
At last, Zelup’s face filled the viewscreen. “How the fuck is this happening?” his brother asked, his eyes glassy with shock.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, and I don’t have long to explain. I boarded the transport, and I saw you start shooting like crazy and then take off into hyperspace.”
“I started shooting at Evar Kange’s ship. He’d come out of nowhere and hit your ship with a booster missile. Blew up your cruiser and the transport. Naturally, having just seen my brother explode, I swore revenge on Kange and chased after his ship. But I lost him, and now you’re calling me. I hate to break this to you, Nojan, but you’re dead.”
Leave it to his older brother to insist he was dead even when evidence to the contrary was staring him in the face. Stubborn didn’t begin to describe Zelup Vartik.
“Sanri is an evil demon with the power to project hallucinations. She made you see those things. Just like she made me and Mayra think we were in our own personal hells. We’ve managed to subdue her, but we don’t know for how long. So get back over here and help me figure out what to do next.”
“On my way. Don’t move from that spot.”
Nojan turned away from the console and headed over to stand beside his beloved. “Well,” he said, putting his arm around her shoulder. “We’ve caught a tiger by the tail.”
Mayra laughed. “More like a snake with poisonous venom that gives you fever dreams.”
The image was appropriate. “What should we do with her?”
Mayra shook her head. “I have no idea. Unless we can find a way to counteract her powers, I don’t know how we would even begin to hold her.”
“I’d much rather hold you,” Nojan said, nuzzling at her neck.
Mayra giggled, giving him a heated glance. “This isn’t really the time, Nojan. But as soon as it is, I hope you’ll do more than holding.”
“You’ve got a date, angel.”
Zelup’s ship came into range on the viewscreen. “I think heading back to Vartik is the only reasonable thing to do,” he said when they’d accepted his transmission.
“I don’t know if I want this demon bitch back on our planet. She’s far too dangerous.” Nojan didn’t want to risk being in the vicinity of her powers. He didn’t think he could take any more of her horrible illusions.
“Speaking of evil bitches, guys,” his brother said, “where is she?”
Nojan cocked a thumb over his shoulder at Sanri’s unconscious form. “She’s right here. We’ve got her all tied up.”
“I don’t see anything.”
“What are you talking about?” Mayra asked. “She’s sitting right in front of me.”
Zelup shook his head. “Sorry, guys, but I don’t see her.”
Nojan frowned, then shut his eyes tightly, concentrating on reality. When he opened his eyes, the image of Sanri was gone.
“Fuck,” he muttered, just as Mayra asked, “Where’d she go?”
They’d fallen for her power again.
Sanri was gone.
“Is the transport gone?” he asked Zelup.
“Yep.”
There was no point trying to find her. If they did get close, she’d just project the image of empty space into their brains. She was well and truly gone.
At least he hoped she was.
“Father’s going to be pissed,” Zelup said. “That bitch knows where Vartik is.”
“I’m afraid we may have bigger problems than Vartik’s exposure, big brother,” Nojan replied. “Have you ever heard of something called the Battle of the End?”
