Page 21 of Written in the Stars

I leaped sideways and rolled, throwing my vibroblade as I tumbled. A gang enforcer leaped out from behind a bookcase, putting himself in exactly the right place to catch my knife. It sunk into his throat, and his startled outcry died in a choking rattle.

The other ambusher charged in, either not seeing the fate of his companion or not caring. I met him halfway, ducking past the swing of his vibroblade and slamming my shoulder into his chest.

He was big, fast, and tough, but he’d also coasted on those traits and never trained his skill. Another hack with his blade went wide as I ducked back, and he’d committed too much to the blow. When it didn’t connect, he overbalanced and staggered. Just for a second, but that was all I needed to close and claw his arm open to the bone.

His hand opened, and his long blade dropped from numb fingers. I snatched it out of the air and swung it as I turned back toward the counter. The blade sliced cleanly through his neck, and he dropped like a stone. Chaos filled the shop as A’Lun and Nebula struggled, and Megan had ducked back behind the counter for safety. I hoped she’d find it.

Two down, one busy, three to go.

More gang members emerged from hiding, slower than the initial ambush. These were here for backup in case I somehow survived the attack, and they hadn’t expected to be needed. Certainly not this fast.

With a roar, I slammed into a bookcase, toppling it onto the nearest enemy with a sickening crunch of breaking bones.Three down.

The last pair, stocky and feathered twins, rushed me together. Each held a pair of thermal knives, glowing red hot, and they looked like they knew how to use them properly. And I only had seconds before my odds got worse—Nebula wouldn’t distract A’Lun forever.

So I needed a quick win against these two. I charged to meet them, trying to use my longer reach to get one before they were in range to hit me.

But the pair were ready for that trick. The one I’d picked for my attack backed off, fighting defensively and staying out of range while his brother flanked me. I barely slipped out of the way of two blades, their heat scorching my skin as they passed within a hair’s breadth of me.

I turned my attention to the attacker, but the pair switched roles with the ease of long practice. This time, I was close enough that my target couldn’t simply dodge out of the way. He parried my blade with one of his own.

A poor trade on my part. Vibroknife met thermal knife, and neither came off well. His knife snapped, but not before it melted components in mine, killing the vibrations. A net win for my enemy, since he still had another knife.

Time for something stupid.Instead of backing off to look for a fresh approach, I flung myself at him. His twin closed in behind me, but I ignored him and focused everything I had on my attack.

My target held his remaining blade up to fend me off, but I beat it aside with my own, twisting so that rather than sliding into my kidney, it slipped past me and into his twin. The resulting scream froze my target, and before he recovered, I slammed my fist into his throat.

“Stop where you are, Drask.” A’Lun’s voice was rough, angry, and loud. I spun to face him, the feathered twins dropping to the floor.

A’Lun held Megan by the hair, pressing a blaster pistol to her temple. His face scratched and bitten, blood trailing down his arms, the gang boss had lost his air of smug superiority, replacing it with rage that felt almost physical as he glared at me.

“Disarmright now,or your precious human dies.”

14

MEGAN

I have fought wars, scaled mountains, fomented revolutions, and found long buried treasure. And yet, the greatest adventure of my life has been to love.

A MATTER OF LOVE AND DEATH: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ILYRIA JACKSON, MERCENARY

Ishould have taken my own advice and run as soon as I had an opening. It would have meant abandoning Drask, but I couldn’t help him in a fight.

Instead of running or helping, I’d hung around and become a liability. And possibly gotten us all killed. At least Nebula had fled into the back room and might survive.

A’Lun’s blaster trembled against my temple, unsteady in his hand. At this range, it hardly mattered—if he pulled the trigger, it’d take my head off. Hitting Drask would be a tougher challenge, though.

“If I come closer, you will kill me and then her,” Drask said, edging sideways. A’Lun turned to keep him in view.

“Even if that were true—and it is not—what choice do you have? You are out of weapons, you cannot cross the distance between us before I kill your human, and you’ve already shown that you’ll risk your life to save hers. So, come here, or she dies.”

I swallowed nervously, watching Drask move and trying to work out what he was up to. If he was trying to escape, he’d taken the wrong direction, putting us between him and the door. He could disappear into my bedroom, but that wouldn’t get him anywhere.

“And if I do, what happens then?” My alien warrior asked, still moving sideways. A’Lun turned with him, a slow circle of a stand-off.

“Then, once I’m safe, we can discuss the future. I give you my word that the human is safe, whatever happens between us.”

“Don’t listen to him!” I shouted the warning and got a smack on the side of the head with the pistol for my troubles. I staggered, bright lights blossoming in my vision. When they cleared a moment later, Drask was gone.

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