Nanu took a dislike to Chobe Lav. The man was nothing like his older sister, not even when she was at her most tetchy.

Still, if Jazen desired to spend time with her brother, he’d keep her company. And watch out for her because her worm of a brother intended to talk her into giving up her hard-earned savings. Hopefully, the man wouldn’t recognize him as Jazen had. He angled his head a fraction to monitor Chobe in his peripheral vision. The vibe the brother gave off differed from the professional one Jazen exuded. For Jazen, he’d take the risk and spend a short time with her obnoxious brother.

In the lead, Nanu kept a solid pace as they descended to the lower levels. In the square, high-class woman sauntered around the stores, their maidservants trailing them and carrying packages. Elderly councilmen sat in estaminets and cafes, drinking hot reeb and chewing elteeb nuts for relaxation. Children raced around playing tag, finding joy in the manner of children everywhere.

On the second level, more tradesmen plied their craft. Flymos, the chubby vehicles used for moving goods and people around the city, landed in the reserved area, disgorging passengers of all races and ages. Others waited for porters to unload cargo, the entire street bustling with activity.

As they worked their way down the central staircase, the quality of the clothes decreased. Nanu noticed young boys targeting a pair of lords slumming it at a corner tavern. Lynx and Shiloh tried to maintain order and keep the citizens safe, but visitors from other planets kept arriving with an eye on quick profits. Without a pause, he slid into the gap between the half-drunk lords intent on leaving the tavern and the group of boys. He glared at the boys, his hand settling on his hip, as if he carried a weapon and intended to use it.

The largest boy, the obvious leader of the group, spat at Nanu. When Nanu’s hair tendrils lifted, swaying in the youth’s direction, then hissed, the boy’s eyes widened. He lifted both his hands and backed away. An instant later, the young males melted into the crowd, and the two lords continued farther down the staircase, none the wiser.

“My hero,” Jazen said in a light voice.

Nanu shrugged, uncomfortable when he’d reacted instinctively. “We do our bit to help the city stay safe.” If he’d been with Kaya or Ry or even Camryn and Jannike, they would’ve done the same thing—helped the lords and stopped the thieves. Sometimes, they offered the thieves an alternative, but Nanu didn’t have time to do anything further this cycle.

He ambled at Jazen’s side, his gaze surveying the crowd of people around them.

A flymo scuttled overhead, zapping up and down in an irregular manner. It landed the street below them, close to the tavern where they were meeting Chobe’s wife. Nanu presumed the driver had imbibed too much at the tavern. Another problem the king and duke intended to stomp out.

As they arrived at the tavern, Nanu reached for the door handle.

“Not there,” Chobe said. “There’s a doorway around the other side. It’s the entrance for those who are staying in the accommodation above the tavern.”

“I don’t like this,” Jazen whispered. “Something isn’t right.”

Nanu agreed and the prod of a weapon in his ribs backed up their theory.

“Move it,” Chobe ordered. “Keep your hands where I can see them. This weapon is loaded, and I’m not afraid to use it.”

Nanu stilled, yanking Jazen to an abrupt halt. “What is going on?”

Jazen whirled to face her brother, distress digging into her features when she saw the blaster aimed at them both. “What are you doing?”

Chobe stared at them with something resembling hatred. “You’re coming with me.”

“We’ve already said we would,” Nanu said, smiling in an easy-going manner despite the danger. If he acted unruffled and benign, perhaps Chobe would underestimate him. Of course, he’d be aware of Jazen’s capabilities.

“Veer to the right and head to the flymo. Don’t try anything foolish because I have my crew on standby to help should you present any difficulties. Make no mistake, my weapon is loaded and I will shoot if you alert bystanders or attempt an escape. I’ll shoot nosy watchers or I might shoot one of you in the foot, the shoulder, the knee. I’m not fussy.”

Nanu believed Chobe. The man’s gritty tone was uncompromising, but would he truly injure his sister? His inner beast growled, forcing anger and energy through his veins. His beast wanted to fight, and his hair hissed, almost as if it agreed. While he hadn’t tried out his new powers, his childhood training had enlightened him as to the possibilities. He could disarm Chobe.

Besides, Ry and Kaya would come for him. He’d told them he intended to stay in the square. If they failed to locate him during a search, they’d check his tracker. The entire crew had a tracker implant each, inserted after Mogens had read the clouds one cycle. He’d informed Ry they’d need concealed trackers implanted inside them for safety reasons, and the captain had agreed the suggestion was a good one. Jannike’s tracker had allowed them to find her after a collector had abducted her, so as long as he stayed alive, he’d come out of this little adventure intact.

“Do as he says,” Nanu whispered.

“But he’s acting crazy,” Jazen said.

“Enough chatter. Walk. Now.” Chobe jabbed the weapon at Jazen this time, shoving her forward and making her stumble.

Nanu grabbed her before she fell and set her on her feet. He glared at Chobe, not bothering to restrain his dislike. A sibilant hissing came from his hair tendrils, and they lifted to writhe and dance around his head. “Stop. We’re going. There’s no need to shove us.”

Nanu led Jazen in the direction Chobe indicated. At Chobe’s urging, they stepped off the main staircase and hustled along the narrow street, past a tailor’s shop. A discarded flymo terminal took up the rest of the street, the red warning signs plastered across the immense double doors signaling this was one of the areas zoned for redevelopment. A work party of young males of mixed races toiled, stacking the loose debris in a pile for collection and removal.

One youth—a red mumber with the characteristic red skin of his race—raised his right hand in greeting. “Hey-ho!”

Nanu cursed inwardly, recognizing him. This youth and several of the others in the group were Jarlath’s protégés. Jarlath was the king’s brother, and he looked upon this youth as a son.

“I’ll shoot him without hesitation,” Chobe warned. “Go quietly or I might shoot his friends for sport. Tell him you’re in a hurry. Can’t speak to him right now.”

“Hey, Cristop. I’ll catch up with you later.” Nanu shifted his position, allowing the youth a glimpse of Chobe’s weapon. The youth flipped his dreads over his shoulder, waved again and strode away, said something to one of his friends and continued with his dusty work.

“Walk.” Chobe punctuated his order with another rib jab.

Nanu stepped in the direction Chobe indicated and prayed Cristop would contact Ry. He was certain he’d seen the weapon and understood Nanu had trouble.

The flymo he’d noticed earlier sat in the middle of the street and a man stood in the open doorway, his gaze trained on him, Jazen and Chobe.

One of Chobe’s crew.

Nanu cursed his habit of not wearing a weapon while in Viros. Normally, he’d carry his comm, but he hadn’t stopped to grab it, his mind in turmoil because of Jazen. He shook his head. Jazen had thrown his entire life into chaos. Although he could take Chobe, he didn’t want to attack him and upset Jazen. A delicate balance, the path between him and Jazen.

So, he’d wait.

He’d watch.

And act—when the opportunity presented itself.

Chobe’s ship was under watch at the spaceport, but if he tried to leave, Nanu wasn’t sure if the officials would stop him. Until this cycle, he hadn’t committed a crime. For all Nanu knew, the officials might have ceased their scrutiny of Chobe’s ship. He hadn’t asked Ry during his quick absences from his gattoc. Ry had informed him Chobe was staying in a local tavern and seemed to be behaving. That was all that mattered.

“Ready to go, Chobe?” the man asked. Gleeful humor radiated from him, as if he knew a secret that pleased him.

“Get in the flymo,” Chobe ordered.

Nanu squeezed Jazen’s hand in silent support and ushered her through the door into the utility vehicle. She looked stricken at her brother’s behavior, and Nanu’s heart ached for her. After everything she’d done for her brother. She must feel as if he’d kicked her square in the chest.

Chobe climbed in last and pulled the flymo door closed. “Let’s go, Hanoid.” He dropped onto one of the empty seats, keeping his weapon aimed at them.

“Why did you bring him?” the one called Hanoid asked.

“Leverage. My sister likes him, so I figure a blaster aimed at him will make her cooperate. Besides, the man lives at the castle. We can exchange him later for a ransom. Two problems with one stone.”

“What do you mean two problems?” Jazen asked.

Nanu understood and winced at Chobe’s uncaring attitude, but he remained silent. She needed to comprehend on her own rather than Nanu pointing out Chobe’s intentions.

“Chobe?”

Chobe ignored Jazen.

Hanoid gave a sharp salute and slid into the pilot’s seat. He started the flymo and rose into a vertical lift before zapping into forward propulsion.

Nanu scanned the flymo interior, searching for anything to secret away for a weapon. A pair of legs poked out from behind the rear seats. The previous pilot or the owner of the flymo, Nanu presumed. His glance out the round window showed the thick walls that surrounded the city. His guess, they were headed for the spaceport.

His supposition proved right when ten marks later, the flymo approached the spaceport. Hope surged in Nanu. He held his breath. If the pilot didn’t follow protocol, alarm bells would chime.

“What do you want, Chobe? Why are you doing this? And what about Sergy? And Raffey?” Jazen asked.

She was pale and sympathy twisted inside Nanu at her bewilderment. He and Yep had sometimes fought, but he’d always understood if he encountered trouble, Yep would stand at his side. Now, he possessed loyal friends. True friends.

Jazen mightn’t be able to count on her brother, but Nanu intended to watch her back. She didn’t trust him enough to have confidence in this fact.

“Sergy?” Chobe snorted.

“Not now,” the pilot snapped over his shoulder. “Save it for later. I’ll have to land with the rest of the flymos or else we’ll alert security.”

Chobe’s mouth stretched into a mocking curve and kept his malicious gaze on his sister.

Nanu sat back, mind working busily. He knew several of the security staff at the spaceport. He, Ry and Kaya had assisted Ellard with their training before the opening of the spaceport. Could he alert them? While he was positive Cristop was already locating help, any additional aid might come in handy.

The pilot landed the flymo in the park with the others and powered down the vehicle.

“Don’t do anything stupid. Hanoid and I are armed, and we have no problem with shooting innocent bystanders to get you to our ship. Do you understand me?” Chobe asked in a hard voice.

“Got it,” Nanu snapped.

“We understand,” Jazen said in a low, tight voice.

Nanu sought her hand once they exited the flymo. She sounded broken at the betrayal, and his dislike for the man she called brother increased tenfold. His inner beast rumbled a protest at their cooperation. In his earlier years, Nanu might have attempted to overthrow the pair, but there were too many innocent bystanders. Age and experience had taught him a thing or two.

Wait for your opportunity.

Nanu entered the arrivals’ area of the spaceport and Jazen followed him. He hesitated once inside, unsure of which bay they’d docked their ship.

“Left,” Chobe ordered.

Nanu stalked left and passed four bays before Chobe directed him into Bay I. Not one of the security guards looked familiar and he surged with frustration.

“I refuse to go with you,” Jazen said without warning. She stopped in the middle of the corridor. “You’re my brother. Why are you doing this?”

“Get moving.” The pilot armed his weapon, the distinctive whine setting Nanu’s hair tendrils into motion.

“Jazen, go. There are too many innocents here.” Nanu’s tone held warning along with anger.

She shot him a glower, her face setting in determination, secs before she elbowed Chobe in the ribs. Her blow took Chobe by surprise, but the pilot didn’t hesitate. He lowered his weapon and shot Nanu in the leg.

Pain flared in fiery agony through his limb, and he crumpled a fraction before he regained his balance. Lifeforce rapidly stained his trews and instinct had him ripping off his tunic and using it to stem the flow. Jazen screamed and whirled away from her brother to run to him.

“It’s okay. It’s a graze,” Nanu said quickly even though it hurt like the devil.

“How touching,” Chobe mocked. “I knew she cared for him.”

“Hurry, man,” Hanoid ordered.

Nanu breathed heavily, the pain in his calf intensified by the pressure he was putting on the wound. He scanned the bay and noted security moving into position. They wouldn’t be taking off—the protocols the king and his council had put in place for such a circumstance as this, in motion the sec Hanoid had fired his weapon.

“Let me see,” Jazen demanded.

“Get on the phrullin’ ship or I’ll shoot him again. We don’t need him.”

Jazen’s head jerked up, her shock, her misery clear to see.

“Hurry,” Hanoid urged. “Chobe, shoot her and bring her body. Remove her hand and eye.”

Ah, the situation started to make sense. Chobe wanted his sister’s savings and intended to get them despite her refusal. Most currency vaults required retina and handprint identification before they’d release funds.

“You intend to shoot me. You’d kill me to get my savings? Frag you, Chobe Lav!”

Nanu heard her fury, and her brother did too. Nanu’s inner beast roared, straining his muscles, and Nanu focused on the weapon in Hanoid’s hand. The man with an innocent’s face and the soul of a demon aimed it at Jazen.

One of Nanu’s hair tendrils shot outward, springing toward Hanoid and wrapping around his wrist. Hanoid shouted, and attempted to free himself, the weapon firing and barely missing Jazen. A second tendril slashed Hanoid’s forearm, and the man screamed in pain. The blaster crashed to the ground.

Chobe cursed and seized Jazen, shoving her toward his ship.

Nanu swiveled, his hair tendrils flicking outward and lengthening. They lashed Chobe across the shoulders and struck his head. The sickening crunch had Nanu jerking backward in alarm. His injured leg twisted and pain shot down his limb as Chobe fell to the bay floor. In the heat of the moment, Nanu hadn’t felt a thing.

“Chobe!” Jazen screamed and ran to her brother.

“Raise your hands in the air,” a guard shouted from the end of the bay.

“Mikel,” Nanu said in relief. At last, a guard he knew.

“Stand down,” Mikel ordered. “Hands in the air where I can see them. Five secs before I shoot and ask questions later.”

Nanu froze, understanding the order but chafing under it all the same. He wasn’t the enemy here. He backed up, limping on his injured leg. Raising his arms slowly, so as not to cause alarm, he willed his beast to back down.

Jazen ignored the guards to concentrate on her fallen brother. “Chobe,” she whispered her thin voice audible to Nanu. “Why did you do it?”

“Wanted to protect Sergy and my son. Gang kidnapped son. Have to get him back. The funds you sent weren’t enough. Help me onto the ship, Jazen. Help me escape. Please.”

“But you’re injured,” Jazen protested.

“Can heal myself. Replicate again. Done it before. Bring the man. Knew I’d recognized him. Hand him in for the bounty. Have enough to save Raffey then. Please, help me get him back, Jazen. Please, I’m begging you.”

Jazen remained still for a brief sec, obviously fighting an inner war, then burst into action. She seized the weapon and pointed it at him. “Get on the ship,” she said in a hard voice.

Nanu’s spirit broke a little at her determination, even though he understood her desperate need to save an innocent child from harm. She’d suffered until the trainer had taken her from the brothel. Yes, her urgency to save her nephew had her panicking and overlooking the obvious. If she’d take a sec to think, she’d realize her brother was playing on her tender emotions.

Again.

If the child had truly been in danger, that should’ve been the first words out of Chobe’s mouth when they first met.

The ship engines started, making Nanu realize Hanoid had disappeared. Although injured, he intended to flee.

Nanu ignored the weapons of the security guards and walked past Jazen and Chobe and entered the class A ship. The sleek black vessel was built for speed and quick flits, rather than long space journeys. Fully fueled, the ship might get to Dalcon, if they’d modified the tanks to store extra fuel.

The doors slammed shut behind him, and even before he reached a seat, the ship took off.

The space station alarms blared into voice, their shrieks ear-piercing.

“Cease your departure now.” The order boomed through the spaceport.

Hanoid ignored the demand for them to give up and land before they were shot out of the sky.

Nanu held his breath, waiting for the spaceport weapons to deploy. One direct hit, and he wouldn’t have another worry. His past, his relationship or lack thereof with Jazen, his current predicament—none of it would matter.

 

Panic filled Jazen’s mind in a cacophony of disorder. What had she done? The spaceport security wouldn’t let them leave. Hanoid and Chobe had injured or killed the pilot of the flymo. They’d shot Nanu in the leg, although she doubted the injury death-threatening. He was still functioning and throwing glowers in her direction.

But what choice did she have?

She couldn’t let her nephew suffer slavery or worse, because she had no doubt a gang would seek to profit from him.

But what she didn’t understand was why Chobe hadn’t told her at the start. She would’ve given him more currency, her dreams nothing compared to her nephew’s freedom and safety. Was he playing her or not?

“Land or we’ll shoot you down. This is your last warning.” The voice blasted through the spaceport.

Grata, did they intend to shoot them out of the sky? Had she sentenced them all to death?

A boom reverberated, their ship shuddering. Her breath eased out as she realized their vessel was still rising. Security had fired a warning shot.

Satisfied they might escape in one piece, she stopped worrying about what ifs and concentrated on Chobe. The crack that had sounded when Nanu struck him—she’d suspected a mortal injury. She crouched by her brother and tentatively touched her fingers to the lump on his neck. Chobe’s eyes were closed, but they flicked open at the contact.

“I’ll be fine,” he said in a terse voice. “Takes me time to mend my body after an injury like this.”

“How many crew do you have?”

“Go and ask Hanoid. He can answer your questions. I need to focus.” His gaze swept to Nanu. “Better secure our prize with my bindings in case he decides to make trouble. From memory, he’s worth a decent bounty. Smart of you to string him along. Didn’t realize you possessed the cunning to reel in such a valuable prize.”

Jazen sensed rather than saw Nanu’s scorn. Now, because of Chobe’s actions, he wouldn’t believe she meant him no harm. Shrugging aside her pain, she unclipped the pair of auto bindings from Chobe’s belt.

Nanu’s expression remained impassive as she clicked the bindings around his wrist and secured him to a seat. She eyed his hair tendrils and rifled through the minute galley for a cloth of some description. Nothing suitable came to hand. Without exchanging a word, she wrapped a tunic around Nanu’s head while ignoring the indignant hisses coming from his hair.

Next, she trotted onto the bridge, an area not large enough for more than three people at a squeeze. Hanoid sat in the pilot’s seat.

“They’re letting us leave,” he said without removing his attention from the controls.

“Seem to be,” she agreed. “There’s only you and Chobe.”

“You’re smart. You can count.”

“Chobe implied he had a crew.”

Hanoid guided the ship away from the spaceport. “He does, but not here. We didn’t wish to attract attention.”

“Failed at that.”

Hanoid smirked. “You have a better sense of humor than your brother.”

“Not much to laugh about. Tell me about Raffey. When did you last see him? Who took him?”

Hanoid brayed, the slivers of his amusement raising her hackles. Something was off here. She’d suspected trouble when they had met Chobe in the city and now she was certain.

“Where is Raffey?”

“Chobe doesn’t have a wife. He doesn’t have a son. He made them up to extort currency from you. You’re a soft touch, or you were until you hardened up and refused to give him any more.”

“What? No? I’ve seen depictions. I’ve spoken to Sergy on the comm, seen Raffey.”

“Sergy is a prostitute who Chobe hires to play a part. Chobe sold off the most recent Raffey before we came to Viros.”

“Chobe s-sold him?”

“You deaf?”

Oh frag. She should’ve listened to her instincts back on Viros. Chobe had lied to her. Yet again.

“I’m not signing my funds over to you.”

“Chobe can replicate you. All we need is your hand for the palm print plus your eye. Dead or alive. Don’t matter to us.”

Jazen stared at him, her throat working to disperse the lump in her throat. Nausea tiptoed into her gut and set up camp. This man was a monster, and he was her brother’s friend. His business partner. She shook her head, an involuntary jerk of denial. She replayed the past, hers and Chobe’s childhood while growing up and the way they’d depended on each other, the warrant-taker jobs they’d worked together. When they’d paid off their commitments to Azarious—or rather, she had paid them off.

“Nothing to say?” Hanoid taunted, his hands lazily working the control panel of the ship and setting it on autopilot. His mouth curved into a devilish smile that sent fear scurrying into her thoughts.

Sickened, Jazen whirled on her heel and marched back to Chobe. Her brother was sitting up, putting the last touches to his face. His neck now sat in the correct position and the resources he’d used from his face slid back with a fleshy slap.

Jazen watched his resurrection every part of her screaming with guilt and fury and shame. She winced as her mistakes and missteps with her brother bashed her over the head. Regret intensified the swirl of her knotted belly. No point denying the tiny voice that whispered each time she’d handed her brother currency. The tiny voice she’d shut down because he was her brother, because of loyalty.

And now, Nanu would die. She’d die along with him because of her brother’s greed and his insistence on preying on others.

Jazen sucked in a quick breath, her chest-muscles swelling as Nanu’s gaze met hers. The tightness in her chest had her breaking the connection. Her head drooped and her shoulders rounded in defeat. She wanted to crawl into a corner and howl. Disappointment pounded the nails of grief into her mind.

Because of her, Nanu would die.

Because of her mistakes, she would die too.

She took a deep breath and straightened. After another inhalation, she thrust her chest out and her muscles locked before she relaxed. Her gaze slid stealthily around the cabin, searching.

She might die soon, but she sure as frak refused to go without a fight.