She woke up early again. Finding the space that the neko had claimed at the foot of her bed empty and cold, she frowned. Rather than attempting to catch a few more hours of sleep, she dragged her ass out of bed and slowly pulled her gray slacks up her limbs in silence to avoid waking Kronos up.

The silly feline could get into some trouble. And if he felt threatened, he could hurt himself again trying to get away. Kai had allowed him to be brought on board because she’d pouted and made a little scene right in front of everyone; he was her responsibility now, even though the adorable creature was potentially an evil fiend in disguise.

Nalini knew what his presence felt like; tracking it through the maze of high- tech, lit -up corridors wasn’t hard. She tensed as her steps inexorably took her to the front of the ship on the highest level. No. Surely not even he was that freaking evil, right?

But indeed. Nalini drew her breath, standing right in front of the large, tall doors that couldn’t be mistaken as anything but the command platform of the vessel. The neko was right through these doors, she knew it.

She remained planted on her feet, horrified and frozen. What now?

Before she could make up her mind, the two large doors parted. Five Evris stared at her from the platform. A beautiful female in a small pink top and a tight suit that didn’t cover much of her athletic frame; a large, goofy, smiling male her age; two elegantly dressed people who looked very much alike, although one of them was male and the other female; and him. Kai Lor of Hora. An impossibly tall wolf at his side, bigger than Nox.

And Kai had the damn neko in his arms.

He faced away from her, observing space through a large panoramic screen. Windows were apparently his thing.

“Come on in, Nalini,” he said, without so much as turning her way. “Unless you’d like one of those regular, loyalist friends of yours to find you here.”

She stayed put another second, finding it impossible to move; then his words sank in.

Shit. What if she was found here in the early hours of the morning?

Her simple life down on one of these planets they passed by depended on her discretion. If anyone learned that she was a mage, or simply that she was associated with Kai at all, that would be it.

She rushed forward, entering the command bridge. The doors closed behind her, and only then did Kai turn. He took her breath away again; her memory never did him justice. He truly was the most painfully striking male she’d ever seen.

Even when his arm was getting savagely scratched by a neko kitten. Nalini couldn’t help a chuckle.

“Funny, is it?” he challenged, glaring. “This beast stormed in here, terrorized Sky, and tricked me into pulling him away. Now he’s attached himself to my arm, only to bite, draw blood, and spit at me. Many have been destroyed for less.”

The four people in the room had a hard time containing their laughter.

“Evi,” the female in pink introduced herself, holding her hand out. Nalini went to shake it. “I’m the general of the fleet. This is Wench, our engineer in chief, and the twins—Star and Hart. They’re both Coats.” Nalini’s confusion must have been visible, because Evi clarified, “Politicians. They belong to opposite parties.”

Indeed, Hart was clad in a long black and green robe that connoted a naturalist affiliation, while Star wore black and blue. She was with the technologists.

One of Nalini’s brows lifted. “I can only imagine the family dinners.”

Nats and Techs were always bickering about one thing or another.

The Coats laughed. “You have no idea,” Star replied. “Our mother is an Imperial, and our father, a loyalist at heart. If we all have to be in the same room, no subject is safe, not even the weather.”

She winced on their behalf, before waving around the room to everyone.

“Nice to meet you all,” she replied awkwardly. “Nalini.”

Wench smiled in response. “We know.”

Oh. They’d heard of her, from Kai that meant. She bit her lip, wondering what he’d said about her. Rather than ask that, she held her hand up while walking toward the silent warlord, who observed her with his keen, intense eyes, making her uncomfortable as ever.

“I’ll take him, and try to keep him in the residential levels.”

And she tried, but the neko started to scratch frantically, before wrapping his paws around Kai’s arm, making it quite clear he intended to stay where he was. His hind legs tapped against Kai’s sleeve frantically, and he turned on his back, sending a pleading look with his big round eyes.

Kai grimaced, all the while giving in, stroking the beast with his free hand. “He does that routine as soon as I move to put him down. I swear that thing can get away with anything.”

“He’s a demon,” Nalini nodded. “Sorry.”

Kai shrugged like it didn’t matter at all. Then, as though there was no intruder in his high command, he talked, no doubt carrying on the conversation they’d been having before her arrival.

“It’s going to be a risky move. I don’t want to order anyone to go to their doom. We’ll call for volunteers only.”

“I’ll go,” the pink-clad general announced. “We need a description of their weapon. All we heard is that it destroyed half the city with one blast. Having details could save so many lives.”

Nalini felt like she should have made herself scarce at first, but she paused. They were talking about the Imperial attack on the Nimerian base, she realized.

“Not you,” Kai shook his head. “You’re too valuable.”

The way he said it made Nalini look at Evi again. She really was very beautiful, almost as much as him. She made sense for him; they were a remarkable pair, Nalini noted.

And that second, she hated the other female for it. Hated her. Pure, undiluted jealousy poisoned her heart.

Kai turned to her, frowning, watching her too closely. Shit. His damn ability to read her thoughts, despite her shields, despite the fact that he wasn’t trying. She forced herself to pull more shields between them, until she couldn’t feel him at all. It took a lot of effort, like her mind revolted against protecting itself from him. Which was weird and ridiculous.

“I should go. I’ll come back later for—”

“You were in Nimeria during the attack,” Kai stated. “Can you concur? Was it truly one blast?”

Nalini stilled before nodding. “Yes. I was out of range, but I felt it. The ground trembled. Something blinding flashed; I had to close my eyes. Everyone….” Her voice lowered to a whisper and faded.

She wasn’t going to say the rest of what happened, when it would have clued anyone in on what she was.

“You can talk. Everyone in this room already knows you’re one of us, Nalini.”

Her head snapped up.

“They know how you saved me.” To his men, he explained, “Nalini works as a healer or a cargo pilot for whoever pays her well enough. Of late, it was the loyalists on Nimeria.”

He said it without judgement, but one of his men laughed, making her feel inadequate. That he’d shared what she’d told him privately made her blood boil. It was a challenge, and she could have replied any manner of ways.

No one expected her to move to slap the warlord of their entire sector.

Kai stopped her hand before she’d landed a hit. Then a slow, leisurely smile formed on his lips. A truly terrifying smile, cruel and wicked.

She shivered, her eyes widening at her own actions.

What was she thinking? The male could have her whipped for that. Or locked in a cage and shocked.

“Feisty still, I see,” he said, releasing her hand.

“You don’t get to judge me. You don’t know a thing about me.”

He lifted a brow before turning away from her.

She was dismissed.

“You can’t go, Evi. I need you up here, keeping things together. What we need is spies, not forces. Simple, inconspicuous individuals who can blend in and keep their head while on the ground. We’ll ask for volunteers, put together a team in the morning. Now, give me some good news.”

Nalini started to move toward the doors. She’d taken three steps when Kai called her back.

“Nalini?”

She stilled, but didn’t turn.

«I didn’t mean to offend. Don’t leave angry.»

Out loud, he just said, “Keep your comm on. I’ll let you know when this beast of yours is more amenable.”

The doors in front of her remained closed. She sighed.

«It’s fine. I’m just a little touchy.»

The doors opened.

Damn pushy, psychic warlord.