He tensed and leaned back.“I need you.”
“You have other options.Less heavily armed options.”She smiled up at him and fluttered her lashes.
He paused.
“Well?”
“I am weighing my options.”
“If you are thinking the two hidden guys sneaking up behind me, they will fall right after you do.”
Aken-Var looked at her.“You knew they were there?”
“Twos hum a little.It gets louder when they go invisible.”She chuckled.“I also know that there is someone behind them, so I am not that worried.”
Birun’s voice rang out.“Aken-Var, you are not keeping to the spirit of our agreement for your visit.”
The man holding her winced and slowly released her.“You are correct, Honourable Birun.I lost my mind.”
Margo tapped his arm with the cylinder and walked over to Trin with the new weapon at her side.“It works great.No colours?”
“No, it was hard enough pulling in the projected length.”
Margo grinned.“I am not going to say anything.”
“Geri and the others already did.So, what changes would you like?”
“Well, another one and a practice mode.I don’t want to wreck the ship.”
“Oh.Cool.Gimmee, and wait a few minutes.”Trin grinned.
Margo relinquished the cylinder and turned to see Delia speaking to Aken-Var.When Margo looked back, Trin was gone.
Margo sighed and felt her stomach rumble.She looked at the ladies and asked, “Anyone want to coax food out of the machines with me?”
Geri nodded.“I am up for it.Let’s go.”
“Trin said wait a few minutes.”
“Fine.We will wait, but occupy yourself.”
“Flippy, flippy it will be.”Margo looked around the space, made a path in her mind, and then started doing front handsprings around the space.Every three was hands-free, and she just kept moving through the space until Trin returned.
Margo landed, dusted her hands off, and walked back toward the inventor.She smiled.“So, what’s the verdict, doc?”
Trin blinked.“Were you doing that the whole time I was gone?”
“Minus a minute or two.The fusion left me with a lot of extra energy that doesn’t seem to be dissipating, and the only reliable means of burning it off is a pain in the ass and looking like he wants to snag me and just haul me to his ship.”
Chloe wandered over.“I am stunned.Were you a cheerleader?”
“In my misspent youth.Just in high school.”Margo smiled.“How was my form?”
Geri nodded.“I now see how you managed to survive in the arena as long as you did.”
Margo grinned.“I made it hard to hit me.”
Trin waved to the box.“Here you go.The heir and a spare.The pink button is the trial button.It makes a beam that will scorch but not cut.Think first-degree burn.”
