From the little information he’d gathered on Chobe Lav and his experience of the type of man or woman who took up as a warrant-taker—present company excepted—Nanu wasn’t as confident of her brother’s departure. Certainly not as quietly as Jazen wished.

Ry had told Nanu the brother was keeping his head down. That meant nothing. His hair tendrils stirred at his uneasiness.

“What would you like to do first?”

“Can we go outside to the square? Where the stalls are set up?”

“Of course. During the day, the square is quieter. There are cafes and smaller estaminets, a few elegant apparel stores and a large tavern. It’s at night when the square comes alive with stalls and entertainment.”

“I’d still like to see. Please. How do I apply for a stall? What equipment do they provide? What is the best way to do this?” Excited questions poured from her, and her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

“Of course we can wander the square. I’ll take you for a walk, and we’ll take refreshments at one of the estaminets. Let me check in with Ry and Kaya first. I need to learn what contracts we have coming up.”

“Will you need to leave soon?”

“I’m not sure. It depends. We have an ongoing contract with the dragons on Narenda. It’s almost time to travel there to fulfill the next phase.”

Nanu escorted Jazen down the corridor to the suite of common rooms where they hung out together and ate as a family. Sometimes, the couples sought privacy and ate in their chambers but Nanu hoped to find at least some of his friends relaxing in readiness for the midcycle meal.

He’d been right. Almost everyone sat around a large float table, ready for the servants to serve their meal.

“Nanu.” Camryn saw him first. “I understood you’d stay in your chamber for several more cycles.”

Nanu pushed aside the surge of disappointment that struck him. The length of isolation should be several cycles longer, but since the mating hadn’t taken, there was no point lingering. He’d garnered Jazen’s interest in starting a stall, and he’d build on that and the beginnings of their friendship.

“Change of plans.” He ushered Jazen to an empty seat and took the one beside her.

“Oh, I thought we were going to the square.” Jazen’s eagerness fell away.

“We will. I promise.” Nanu placed his hand over hers and squeezed.

“Aw, that’s so sweet,” Kaya cooed. “You’re gonna promenade.”

Ry made a choking noise, and Camryn clapped her mate over the back.

Nanu glared at Kaya. “There is no need—”

“Nanu is showing me the square since I wish to apply for a stall. I am going to sell my pies,” Jazen said.

Kaya’s brows shot upward. “You make pies? A warrant-taker?”

“I am retiring as a warrant-taker,” Jazen said.

“I don’t believe you can make a pie,” Kaya scoffed.

Nanu stiffened, not liking the way this first meeting with his friends was going. “Kaya.”

His warning went unheeded.

Jazen lifted her chin, her focus on Kaya. “I do not lie.”

“Not true,” Kaya intoned. “You lied to us about who you were and your purpose. You tried to capture Nanu.”

“I did lie to you, and I’m sorry about that. My brother required quick currency, and I wanted to help him.”

“And now?” Ry asked, an edge to his voice.

“I’ve decided my brother needs to become more independent and he should stop relying on me when he is capable of providing for his family. It’s time for me to follow my dreams. I want to open a pie shop.”

Several servants arrived with platters of food.

“What are we having?” Kaya asked.

“Toasted sandwiches and soup, miss,” the thin woman with red skin said.

“Toasted sandwiches?” Jazen asked. “I helped you make sandwiches during the voyage to Viros. What is different about these?”

Kaya cocked her head and studied Jazen as if she were a bug.

Nanu got the urge to slap his friend.

“Maybe you are a cook. You’re showing the same fascination as a foodie.” Kaya sniffed. “And you and Nanu are intending to wander in the square later on.”

“What is a foodie?”

“A person who enjoys food, both eating and learning about it,” Camryn said hastily. “Let’s eat.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll enjoy these,” Nanu added. “If we discover a tasty food during our travels, we learn how to make it. I forget which planet sandwiches come from, but they are a firm favorite.” No need to mention Earth, Camryn’s planet of origin. Their friend Amme Vanak must be kept safe, especially since she’d made Earth her home with her new family.

* * * * *

Dressed in his maid’s costume, his disguise stolen from a hapless kitchen employee, Chobe set his platter on the long float table. Frustration knotted his guts even as part of him applauded Jazen’s latest scheme.

The fools. The simpletons were accepting his sister as one of their own, welcoming her—or at least some of them were. The blue-haired woman with the pointy ears didn’t like Jazen much. He could use her animosity. Perhaps seduce the woman to use for his own pleasure. Sergy was becoming tiresome, and now that she was aging, she wasn’t attracting as many customers.

On the up side, if Jazen and the man with the weird hair intended to wander in the square later, it would make his task of grabbing his sister easier.

The thin red woman nudged him in the ribs. “Hurry, Easter. We need to collect more platters from the kitchen. This lot eat much food.”

Chobe started, having forgotten he’d replicated the female servant. He barely restrained his growl of displeasure, forcing it into a cough at the last sec. With his head down, he trudged after the red woman, concentrating on maintaining his stolen character. He should make an escape now that he knew Jazen intended to leave the castle, but the chance of learning more about the people here and how Jazen had wriggled her way into this sweet gig made him decide to stay in character.

Information was power.

Back in the steamy kitchen, he picked up another heavy platter and trudged with the rest of the servants back to the big space where the privileged ate.

He didn’t learn any additional intelligence, but he scanned the different people, memorizing them and attempting to match the names he heard with the faces. He listened to their conversation.

“Can I speak with you before Jazen and I leave for our walk?” the man with the weird hair asked the male sitting opposite him.

Chobe perused the man’s broad features after he set the platter on the table. Something about him tugged at Chobe yet the memory refused to settle into fact. The knowledge would come to him eventually. The man had a thing for his sister, and even stranger Jazen seemed to return his regard. He’d never seen his sister interact in this manner before. Normally, she remained standoffish and acted as if she was too good for any man. What made this one different?

Even odder, Jazen and this man had disappeared for several cycles, and now they’d reappeared. The puzzle itched his brain until his temples ached.

“Easter, what is wrong with you this cycle?” The red woman tugged sharply on the hem of Chobe’s tunic. “Cook will have our heads if we dawdle. We have to peel the vegetables and help prepare the capons for roasting.”

Joy. The sooner he left the castle, the quicker he could contact Hanoid and revise their plan to grab Jazen. His gaze lingered on the blue-haired woman—the one they called Kaya—and his pulse quickened.

She’d be a challenge.

 

* * * * *

“This is my first real visit to Viros,” Jazen said, craning her neck as they ambled through the luxurious castle rooms full of treasures from different parts of the solar system and beyond. The previous queen had collected most of them, according to Nanu.

“It’s a good place to live,” Nanu said, reaching for her hand.

Their fingers entwined and peace settled over her skin. It was a foreign sensation, one she’d never experienced before meeting Nanu. Spending time with him eased the tension in her muscles, and she had the strangest desire to sing and dance. He made her feel positive and safe, a foreign sentiment since, in her occupation, watching her back became second nature. Even better, he sought her company and seemed to like her, despite their rocky start.

“I’m excited to explore the possibilities of setting up my business here.”

Nanu’s brows lifted, and he swung their linked hands. “Really? I didn’t realize.”

She blinked at the brighter whitelight outside the castle interior. A new surge of happiness streaked through her while her eyes refocused. He was teasing her. No one had ever teased her before.

They passed through the security checkpoints and ambled into the square, still holding hands.

“If I can’t get a stall straightaway, perhaps I might discuss a deal with the owner of an estaminet to sell my pies with their drinks?”

“Excellent idea,” Nanu said. “Start small and build your brand. Let’s go this way first. We’ll pass the tavern and do a circle to study the estaminets. In my opinion, you’ll find the owners receptive to your pies. They’re always searching for an edge on their competition.”

Jazen eyed her surroundings with interest. Nanu had explained the town to her, and how the more expensive housing and shops were located at the top of the mountain nearer the castle. The quality of the goods and accommodation grew progressively cheaper the farther away a being headed from the castle.

“I could make two different types of pies and take them around the estaminets to see if they’re interested in selling them. That’s if I can’t get my own stall,” she added.

“Another great idea. You’re full of them today.”

Jazen strode beside Nanu, her mind working through the possibilities even as she basked in his approval. “I’d need to rent a kitchen if I decided on that option.”

“A suggestion. Check out properties available for rent. I have inside information of the best locations in the city.”

“I want to do this on my own. I don’t wish to trade on our friendship to get what I want.”

“And that’s admirable,” Nanu said in a husky voice. “But I like you. I want you to succeed, and if I can aid you in your plans, that’s what I’ll do.”

No one had ever helped her before. Every bit of currency she’d had to secure the hard way. The other warrant-takers hadn’t given her respect. She’d had to earn everything with painstaking work, determination and an unwillingness to give up.

“What do you expect in exchange?”

Nanu flinched, his brows drawing together. His hair tendrils hissed at her, as if disappointed by her question. “I want to continue seeing you. I want a relationship.” His amber eyes blazed with resolve as he drew her to him, even though they stood in the middle of the square in a public place. “I want you, Jazen. Let me help.”

Every time she decided she’d figured out Nanu, he said or did something to toss her assumptions into turmoil.

“I thought you were playing with me—that our time together was temporary.”

“No. I repeat, I want you. It’s why I suggested you stay on Viros. That you start your business here? Because, selfishly, I want you to stay. You’re more than a friend.”

Her mouth rounded as his words burst over her. He liked her and wanted her to stay.

“W-where would I live?”

“I’d like you to stay with me in my chamber.”

“Live at the castle?”

“You’d be my mate, Jazen. Please consider staying. I don’t want to rush you or force you to act against your will. I’m telling you what I want. You decide if you wish the same thing.”

“I—Chobe!” She blinked, unable to believe her brother was in Viros.

Chobe, taller than her, but with the same straight black hair marched toward her, powering up the last steps of the central stairs. What was he doing in Viros? She took in his broad features, his sensual mouth and his pronounced cheekbones. She caught the admiring glances from two approaching maidens. He hadn’t changed and still attracted feminine attention.

“Why aren’t you answering your comm?” Chobe demanded.

Jazen patted her tunic pocket. It was warm out this whitelight, and she hadn’t bothered about a jacket. Nanu had returned her comm. From memory, it was still in her jacket pocket. “Ah, it’s in my jacket. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

The truth.

There was only one reason for Chobe to search for her in Viros. Several cycles ago when Nanu and his friends had locked her away, after she’d tried to capture him, she’d prayed Chobe would use the tracker she had embedded in her hip to locate her.

Now that he was here, she wished he hadn’t bothered.

The fact he’d gone to so much trouble had her instincts screeching aloud.

Nanu inclined his head in a bow of respect to her brother. “I’m Nanu. I’m pleased to meet you. Chobe. Jazen has often spoken of you.” He held out his hand and let it fall to his side when Chobe rudely ignored him.

“Chobe!” Jazen couldn’t believe his lack of manners and scowled her disapproval. “What do you want?”

His eyes flared with a burst of anger. “You promised me currency.”

“And I sent it.” She straightened abruptly, aware of Nanu’s watchful silence from beside her. “You’re not getting anymore. You’re old enough to earn your own and save for whatever you wish to purchase. It’s not my job to pay your way. I sent you the money you owed to recover Raffey. I know you received it, but you didn’t even bother to thank me or let me know Raffey was safe. I’m not giving you more.”

“If it wasn’t for me you’d still be in the brothel, working on your back. I asked Azarious to bring you with us. It was because of me you had a second chance.”

Nanu slipped his arm around her waist, and she scarcely winced at the possessiveness of the action. Instead, she glared at Chobe, furious that he would throw this in her face after all she’d done for him. It was true. Azarious hadn’t wanted to take her.

His reasoning—she was a weak female.

Desperate to leave the brothel because she knew, she knew even at that young age, if she didn’t escape, she’d die there. She had pleaded and promised to work hard for Azarious, had fallen to her knees and begged for a chance.

She’d kept her word, training hard and working smart to become a successful warrant-taker. Over the rotations, she’d repaid Azarious’s investment many times over, and he’d allowed her to pay back his outlay and gain her freedom. After that, he’d allowed her to pick her own targets instead of assigning them. All he’d asked was a commission.

Chobe sneered at her. “You’d be dead if I hadn’t cried pretend tears and demanded he take you too.”

“You’d throw that in my face now,” she snapped, jabbing her finger at his chest to make her point. “I worked harder than you and made more captures. I trained and worked conscientiously. I earned my freedom from Azarious long before you did. If it wasn’t for me, you’d still be indentured to him.”

“Are you sure you want to discuss this in a public place?” Nanu’s quiet words made her aware of the locals staring at them, the soldiers who patrolled the square because of its proximity to the castle, glancing their way. The soldiers’ hands rested on their weapons.

A wave of heat and distress colored her face. This was why she restricted their meetings to comm. Chobe made her crazy. He pushed her buttons, and she forgot Azarious’s prime rules. Never, ever lose sight of your surroundings.

Every hunt bore dangers. Every planet. Every being.

“Grata,” Chobe spat. “You make me lose my mind. Come!”

“No, I’ve told you I won’t give you my savings this time.”

“You refuse to have a drink with your brother?” Chobe mocked.

“I never said that,” Jazen snapped. “Stop trying to put words in my mouth.”

“I promised to meet Sergy on Fourth Street. Why don’t you and your boyfriend have a drink with us there?”

Jazen checked with Nanu, silently asking him if changing their plans was acceptable. To her relief, he gave an imperceptible nod of approval.

“That’s fine,” Jazen said. The last thing she wanted was to part company with Chobe on bad terms. He was her brother, her only family left.

Although Nanu…

She wasn’t certain where he slotted into her life.

All she knew was that she enjoyed his company, and she believed in him.

“Should we meet you there?” she asked. “What about Raffey?”

“After his ordeal, we decided to leave him with Raffey’s sister for safety. Why don’t you come now?” Chobe was all smiles now that she was doing what he wanted. His normal pattern of behavior. She’d forgotten his selfish streak. In the past, she’d forgiven him, let go of her residual irritation because he was her sole living relation.

Once again, she glanced at Nanu to check on his willingness of the new plan.

“Sure,” she said. “I’m sorry I won’t see Raffey this trip.”

“Which street did you say?” Nanu asked.

“On Fourth Street,” Chobe snapped. “There is a tavern where we meet, near to our accommodation.”

“Very well,” Jazen said, embarrassment flooding her at her brother’s discourtesy. They’d have a drink with her brother and his wife, act with politeness then leave. “Let’s go. I’m looking forward to meeting her.”

“You haven’t met her?” Nanu murmured.

“Not in person. We’ve spoken many times via comm.”

“What are you whispering about?” Chobe demanded. “Are you trying to decide on how to leave our company in the shortest time?”

“Chobe! Stop acting like a Frogan ogre. I’m happy to spend time with you and Sergy.” She forced herself not to glance at Nanu again. Act as if Nanu was a temporary fling rather than something more serious.

Chobe mustn’t connect Nanu with a bounty. He possessed an excellent memory for faces, recalling beings he’d seen many rotations earlier. It was part of what had made him a successful warrant-taker. It was his lack of attention to detail that was his downfall. Her brother preferred shortcuts to get things done.

Nanu indicated they needed to traverse the central stairs that led from the castle, down the hill, toward the walls surrounding the city.

As they walked down the hill, her and Nanu leading her brother, Jazen’s back tingled as if danger lurked behind them. She darted a peek over her shoulder and caught her brother’s smug smile. Her lifeforce muscle seemed to drop to the pit of her stomach. Her brother was involved in something, something unlawful, but why did he need them?

The hair at the back of her neck prickled with greater intensity, and Jazen swallowed. Neither of them carried weapons. Ry had confiscated her blaster, and she’d never seen Nanu with any weapon.

Grata, this fix was her fault.

Even though she should trust her brother, every instinct screamed Chobe was leading her and Nanu into a trap. And she had no idea why.