Page 30 of Hooded

“Fine.” I climb onto it. “But if you attempt to shove anything in my vagina, I will kill you.”

Narlix laughs again. “Having met your mate, I’d better take you seriously.”

“Is Klynn okay?” I ask urgently. “They brought him back but took me. I couldn’t speak to him.”

“He’s more than all right. He’s a killer.” Narlix sets a machine above the slab whirring over me. “And an entertainer. I’m not sure which one Lord Halfen wants him to be.”

“What do you mean?”

“Klynn was put in the holo arena, here on the ship, as a test fight.” Narlix shrugs. “Not that there weren’t credits being bet on the outcome, but only for a select few.”

“He’s being forced to fight here?” I half whisper.

“I’d hardly say your Gryn ever needs to beforcedto fight. It’s in their nature, and as one of their commanders, he’s particularly skilled at it.”

There is too much in that sentence to unpack.

“Anyway, only one died, and not by his hand. I believe Lord Halfen is…considering his position.”

Ice runs through my veins. “What does that mean?”

“It means he didn’t know what he was getting when he picked up a gladiator and his mate.” Narlix looks at her handheld vid screen. “But I’m sure he’ll figure it out.”

“Could you be any more ominous?”

Narlix puts the vid screen down on a table which has risen out of the floor next to my slab.

“Ominous?” she queries. “Optimism died at the hands of Lord Halfen many nova-years ago on this ship, little female. It’s best to assume the worst.”

I feel my stomach harden. This is not exactly a pep-talk, and I’m not going to accept what she says, at all.

“He’d better be quick about it because Klynn and I won’t be staying long,” I say, my hands curled into fists by my side.

“In that case, you’d better make it as short a stay as possible. By my instruments, you are entering your fertile window, and as long as the Gryn continues to do the deed, he will impregnate you.”

KLYNN

It seems the Tormelek have learnt their lesson this time. They take myeregribut do not set me free of the immobilizer beam.

Inside, I rage, while on the outside I bleed. After too long a time, I finally get a grip on myself. Fern wouldn’t still be in the cell when they returned me unless they intend bringing her back. All I need to do is wait.

I don’t do waiting. It’s the reason I went into the undercroft in the dome. Partly to get away from the incessant noise and movement which hurt my very soul.

I was the prisoner of the Galactic Council, once they found out what I knew. And the last thing they wanted was me taking that information back to the Gryn.

Spending time in the undercroft gave me the opportunity to remember, to test my recall of all the information I had seen, so as soon as I was free, I could take all I knew back toszent, the council of Gryn leaders who would know how to handle it.

I watch as the guards change above the cell. Too much jollity and not enough discipline. One of them gestures to a box on the wall. He points down at me and laughs.

For all these Tormelek think they have me caged, they are wrong.

The forcefield to my right shimmers, becomes opaque, and then disappears entirely. Fern is brought in and placed on the ledge. The guard looks over at me, back down at Fern, then slowly and deliberately, he licks over her face.

I want to kill him. No, I want to rip out his tongue and give it to my mate as a gift while he chokes on his own blood.

Laughing heartily, the guard leaves, the forcefield returns, and finally, finally, the immobilizer beam is turned off.

If I thought I was fast, I have nothing on my Fern. She’s by my side in less than a nova-second.

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