Page 53 of Crossing Quinn

I let out a relieved breath. “I’ll send him down to retrieve you.”

The spinning light accelerated until a vortex formed. Bolts of green lightning crackled wildly around the growing opening.

Who knew Adan could be useful? First, I would have him rescue Papa and Quinn and then have him leave my thermite grenade in the engine room of one of the Tai-Kok ships. I smiled at the thought of sending those monsters straight to the ninth hell. Of course, we would have to come up with a creative way to blow the other ship into itty-bitty pieces.

Adan and a strange Coletti warrior stepped out of the vortex. The warrior’s battle suit fit him like a glove, emphasizing every bulging muscle. He wore a bronze communications bracelet on his left wrist, and a bronze chain was woven into his ebony warrior braids. A goatee emphasized his high cheekbones.

I fought back a grin. Slime dripped off his nose and ran down his spiffy boots. “Who are you?”

“Wulf. The Overlord thought Quinn might need backup.”

I flashed Quinn his image. “Do you know this warrior? He says his name is Wulf.”

“I do. You can trust him. His mate is my cousin.”

“Small world. The Overlord sent him and Adan as backup.”

“Brief him on the situation,”Quinn instructed.

I smiled at Wulf. “Quinn said I can trust you.”

“Good,”Wulf said absently as he stared down at my mother. “Does she need medical care?”

“Eeyore. Eeyore. Eeyore.”

I gave Adan the evil eye. “It’s not funny.”

“Eeyore. Eeyore. Eeyore. Eeyore. Eeyore.”Adan kept on laughing and laughing and laughing.

I gave Adan the one-finger salute and turned to Wulf. “My mother is taking a brief nap.”

“Nap?”

“Her mother is a very talented nap taker,”Adan commented dryly.

“And she chooses tonap on the deck?”

Wulf’s incredulous expression would have been amusing if there weren’t two Tai-Kok ships hovering nearby. “Does it really matter?”

“Elderly females are to be protected.”

“Do not under any circumstance tell my mother she is old,”I said, fighting down the urge to scream loudly or kick him in the nuts.

“Deep breaths, darlin’. Just tell Wulf about the Tai-Kok ships and our situation.”

Arrgh. Like I wanted to talk about my mother’s tendency to faint all the time? I noticed a piece of chocolate on the floor beside Mami. I really needed that chocolaty goodness. Before I could grab it, Wulf scooped it up. He was a dead man.

Wulf frowned. “Why are your eyes glowing?”

“They get that way right before she shoots you,”Adan supplied helpfully.

Quinn interjected, “Give her the chocolate, Wulf. Quickly.”

“Ah, it is that time of the month.”Wulf tossed me the chocolate.

I caught it. “Do you have a death wish?”

“Xenia! Focus on the task at hand. You can always kill him later,”Papa barked.

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