Page 44 of Courting Mayhem

“I would expect no less. Defne is Qa’a’s child.” Zosia released me and crammed the bodies down her maw.

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Is Zosia Qa’a’s queen?”

“Not exactly a queen but close. She is Qa’a’s second-in-command.”

I let out a groan. “And I yelled at her.”

“A diplomat you’re not,” Derek said dryly.

“I wasn’t letting her leave Defne motherless.”

“Losing a family member is difficult.” There was a wealth of grief in Derek’s voice.

Kiri draped a branch on Derek’s shoulder. “Me sorry.”

“Me too.” He stroked her leaves.

When the Tai-Kok first attacked Earth, they had slaughtered millions. I wasn’t the only one who had lost family. I placed a comforting hand on Derek’s arm. “May the Goddess grant you peace.”

Zosia whacked us with a tentacle. “More food.”

Derek gave a slight bow.“Yes, Consort.” He teleported away.

A brilliant orange glow popped into existence and spun rapidly.

Kiri jumped on my back. “What that?”

I yanked out my laser pistol.“Good question. Kinda looks like a tornado, but it shouldn’t be able to form inside a ship.”

“That is a teleportation portal. It is how our people journey from one location to another,” Zosia advised.

“Oh. So, the guy who’s bringing you theCalcinite’s hearts opened it.”

“Yes.”

With a squeak, Defne scrambled up my arm and wrapped her tentacles around my neck. I stroked her. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

“Put the pistol away,”Zosia commanded.“Laser bolts only annoy us.”

I holstered my weapon.“Good to know.”

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

I backed away. Maybe I should teleport to the upper deck until Adan was finished teleporting.

“Stay where you are,”Zosia ordered and wrapped a tentacle around my ankle.

“Yes, Consort.”

A huge, heaving silky black mass with dozens of creepy tentacles rolled out of the vortex.

Just when I thought I could deal with anything, fate kept throwing me curve balls. Adan’s aura was that of a psychopathic killer. My first instinct was to run, but Zosia had a death grip on me.

Adan’s two burning yellow eyes studied at me. “You are a Jones female?”

“No. I’m Mayhem, a Bjarke berserker.” I touched the baby. “This is Defne, and the Rui tree is called Kiri.”

“You are a Jones,”Adan chortled.“Only they collect alien children.”

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