Page 4 of Baited

“Blayn doesn’t see it that way, Rych,” Maxym growls with a half smile, concentrating on his own rations.

“How about we get you another tattoo before the parade? That’ll take your mind off it,” Rych says to me.

“No pass,” I grumble.

“He sliced up one of the clerks in the ante chamber at the last games, so he’s not allowed out into Tatatunga for the next two nova-weeks,” Klynn says, running a sharpening stone down one of his favorite blades.

The snick of metal against rock sets my feathers on edge. I wrap them tighter around my food as I shove the first, now empty, platter away and get started on the second.

If I eat, I can forget. And I want to forget the parade more than anything.

IZZY

“You?” Yelii glares at me, her slit pupil eyes unblinking as Oykig don’t have eyelids. “You’re going to be one of us?” She flicks her tail up. “Not if I have anything to do with it, dirty little skivvy.”

“The madame has already agreed,” Riklinn says gleefully, linking her arm with mine. “And I’m going back to dancing for a while too.”

I don’t let my gaze leave Yelii for a moment. It’s well known Oykig females are the warriors in her species, and I’ve seen her put some moves on the customers in the past, especially when she thought the madame wouldn’t find out.

“No self-respecting male would be interested in scrap like you.” Yelii huffs.

“Good thing thispleasure houseisn’t frequented by self-respecting males,” I retort.

The last thing I want is an argument with her. My stomach is already clenched tight with nerves. I think of the credits, and I think of how last night I watched the space ships come and go from Tatatunga’s space port, desperate to be on one leaving.

There has to be another planet, not like this, where I can settle down, do something useful, do anything, but not have to clear up after alien sex.

I know there’s no chance of getting back to Earth. It’s too far away for most in this galaxy to contemplate using the star fuel to reach. An ancient backwards place no one pays any attention to. I don’t think I’ll even have enough credits to make it home.

But at least if I bump uglies with a few alien males, I’ll have enough to get the hell off Trefa.

There’s a set of shrieks outside the rest room, and it takes Yelii’s attention from me briefly as her two erstwhile friends, a heavy-set Habosu called Vodica and a delicate, horned, four-armed Erithix, her skin flashing teal, which is not normally a good sign, enter the space.

“He used it on you, Xenti?” Vodica’s usually piggy eyes are wide with shock. “Even though he knew it’s against house policy?”

Xenti sits down gingerly.

“He did,” she says, her voice hollow and metallic like all her species. “He said he’d give me extra, and you know I need the credits for the party dress I want.”

“You took a Voltes’ knot for a dress?” Yelii blurts out, her eyes practically on stalks and her hands on her hips. “How much did he give you?”

Xenti narrows her bright blue eyes, one pair of hands in her lap, the other pair waving in the air as she stalls for time.

“One hundred?”

“For a knot?” Yelii snorts, folding her arms, but the gesture comes too late. She’s rattled.

“What’s a knot?” I whisper to Riklinn.

Unfortunately, Yelii overhears me.

“This little…thing,” Yelii sneers, “has decided she wants to join our ranks, but she doesn’t know what a knot is.” She says it loudly.

The other two titter behind their hands as Yelii looms over me.

“If you don’t even know something so simple, how can you possibly hope to pleasure a male?” she adds with a cold tone.

“I’m a fast learner.” I stand, my five foot five to her six foot plus.

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