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“I... I can’t help. This is a place to treat animals, not aliens. I’m not equipped—”

“Do it! You have drugs back there. Things you use on the animals. They’ll work on Daisy. Please, she’ll die if you don’t help.”

The woman glanced down at the screen in front of her. She bit her bottom lip before nodding. “Very well. My surgery is closed for the rest of the day. Come through to the back. Let me see what I can do.”

Chapter 15

A muffled, snuffling noise roused Daisy. She shifted, feeling something warm and soft beneath her. She was covered in a thick blanket. Stars, she ached all over. Everything hurt.

She stilled as the snuffling sound came again. She eased herself onto her side and stared at a row of animal pens.

Huh! This was new. There were five animals in the cages. They all looked like the small domesticated type. There were a couple of fluffy cat-like creatures, only the elongated snouts gave them away as alien. Two miniature monkey-like animals with huge eyes and a bright green lizard.

Daisy could smell medicine, disinfectant, and something else she couldn’t identify.

Her hand went to the side of her neck, and she rubbed it carefully. There was a throbbing ache beneath her skin, which she could track down her chest, all the way to her navel.

Daisy grimaced and eased up her clothing. A dark line weaved through her veins.

She swallowed and took a deep breath. She wouldn’t freak out. Of course, the Inkral technology was still inside her. The second she’d given Rexx his energy back, it had surged through her, pumping through her veins with a fiery ambition to take over.

It had been all she could do not to pass out the second it had attacked. And it had felt like a direct attack. This thing wanted her. It wanted to control her. But somehow, it wasn’t getting what it wanted. She could sense it, but it was muted, less urgent. Daisy was still in control.

She swung her legs off the small cot in the corner of the room and shuffled over to the animal pens. She kneeled in front of one of them and rested her fingers against the bars. “You look like you’ve been in the wars.”

The sad-eyed monkey-like critter blinked at her and inched closer, sniffing the air.

“You’re safe with me. I look after animals all the time. Well, mainly the endangered ones.” It felt like an age since she’d been out with Rexx, searching for a rare animal. But it had been less than a week since their last mission. So much had changed. Was there a way back for her? If she could get this Inkral technology out of her, would there be a job on the Apocalypse, or would she have to start over again?

And Rexx! What happened to him? Where was he? The last thing she remembered, he was carrying her. They were leaving the store and going outside. Then everything had gone blank.

She turned as the door behind her opened. Rexx stood in the doorway.

Her heart leaped, and she rose on unsteady feet.

He was by her side in two strides, his hand going around her waist. “Take it easy. You’ve been out for a while.”

Daisy smacked her lips together and frowned. “I feel like I’ve died twice and been resurrected by a voodoo curse. What’s going on?”

Rexx led her back to the cot, and they sat beside each other. “After you did the dumbest thing in the world and gave me back my energy—”

“It kept you alive. I call that a genius move.” She winced as her tongue pressed the tender spot in her mouth where she’d bitten herself so she could return Rexx’s energy.

He arched an eyebrow. “After that, I needed to get you medical help. This was the first place I came to.”

“Is this a vets?”

“It is. We got lucky. The woman in charge, Estelle, is half-Apexian. She took pity on us, took you in, and knocked you out to slow down the movement of the Inkral tech.”

“No wonder I feel woozy. How many drugs have I got pumping through my system?”

“More than you should. Estelle had to try several combinations before it slowed things down. And you were burning up. I was scared I’d lose you.” Rexx brushed her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “Are you holding it together?”

“Yeah, I don’t feel great, but I’m myself. How long have I been out?”

“Twelve hours. Estelle dosed you up heavily. We figured it would slow things down if you slept. We’ve been taking turns checking in on you.”

“Any sign that the Gente are looking for us?”