Renall said, “I was just about to say that. There is no way I will allow her to go again. Her family is equally skilled at carding and spying, and they can bring back news, but we all know humans are looked on with a lot of suspicion, even the ones out here in the universe, and with good reason, so we need someone less…less likely to gather suspicion.”
Talon said, “It can’t be me. I’m wanted by The Federation, and so is Jessica. Even though they gave us what they call amnesty risking this is too much to ask from us. If we get caught gathering intel, we will be killed. I won’t have her risk it, and what is more, I won’t have any of you talk to her about it. You all know if there is a fight, she is the first one out the door and with a weapon in her hand.”
There was a round of laughter. Marik chortled out, “I do not envy you that one. She is a warrior, and I know she could probably kill me with a pan I told her to cook me a meal in.”
“She’d kill you with a fork,” Talon replied, his eyes dancing.
Jeval knew that it was Jessica’s warrior spirit and skills that attracted Talon. He loved her to distraction, and they’d grow old together, if they didn’t end up dead from some battle first.
Besides, Talon was right. After all that he had done and been through, he deserved some peace now, and so did Jessica. Talon was as much as a warrior as his mate, but even the greatest warriors had their limits, and those two had seen far too much war lately.
Marik was also out. He was too needed there on the planet, he and Jenny both. They were always healing something, and they had begun a project to test medications made from natural things, and that too was a needed thing because eventually, they would have to start sending the citizens away from the small city they had begun to build and outward, to settle other parts of the planets.
Jeval said, “It seems I am the only and best option then.”
Renall nodded, but his eyes held a wary expression. Jeval knew why. He was the bloodiest of them all, and he rarely cared about things like peace or safety. He had been known to kill for the sheer pleasure of it, or at least they thought it was for the pleasure. They just did not understand why he did what he did, and he knew he could have explained it, but he didn’t choose to.
Sometimes it was better to see someone as a rogue killer rather than as what they really were.
That damned and cursed gift of his. How had he been given it and why could he not get rid of it?
Renall said, “I have a plan, but you won’t like it.”
Jeval listened as Renall outlined that plan and found that Renall was right.
He didn’t like it at all.
