Page 56 of Courting Mayhem

“Derek Jones is my mate, and give me one good reason why I should help you?”

Outrage filled Loki’s voice. “You would… Let me die?”

“I’m thinking about it and ditch the helpless act,”I replied.

“We do good?”Kiri asked.

“Yes, you did. I’m so proud of you.”I walked over to the transporter console and turned off the suppression field. “Take Defne back up to the ceiling until I see who is coming through the portal.”It would just be my luck to have the shapeshifter responsible for Zosia’s kidnapping show up.

Defne’s little tentacles wrapped around a branch.

The second Kiri’s feeder roots released Loki’s face; he dove for his laser pistol.

I stunned Loki and quickly relieved him of his knives and sword. I patted him down. No hidden weapons. Where the heck were his restraints. I frowned as the tiny ants tapped danced across my mind.

“Who he?” Kiri asked.

I spun around.

An aged, pale-faced male with glowing yellow eyes stood at the edge of the vortex. Three snake-like tentacles hovered above his wispy black, hooded cloak. The effect was nightmarish.

The power radiating off him was terrifying. I holstered my pistol and tried to look harmless. Was he friend or foe? “My name is Mayhem, and you are?”

He smiled, exposing funky, fanged teeth. “I am Qa’a.” He gestured at Loki and Ivan.“Are these the creatures who stole my daughter?”

I swallowed hard. Qa’a was downright scary. “These fools aren’t the ones you are searching for. They kidnapped me, and unfortunately, the transporter beam locked onto Defne and Kiri too.”I shot a quick look at the vortex.“Are Zosia and Adan popping out any time soon?”

“No.”Qa’a looked up at the ceiling.“Come to me child.”

Defne chirped in alarm and clung to Kiri.

“Go away. No like,” Kiri cried.

“You’re frightening the children and your daughter’s name is Defne.”I eased over to the kids. “No offense, but Defne needs her mother, and you should be trying to find out who let the Rodan into the breeding sanctuary.”

Qa’a studied me for a long moment. “You do not fear me.”

Anyone with a lick of sense would be frightened of someone who could eat them in a single bite.“I respect your power, but I won’t let anyone, including you, hurt the children. It might be the shortest fight in history, but I’ll die protecting them.”I gave myself a mental head smack. Shortest fight in history was dead on. Anyone would think I had a death wish. Or the bright side, maybe he had already eaten and wasn’t in the mood for a munchie.

Eeyore. Eeyore. Eeyore.

“I said something funny?” Call me curious.

“Your concern over my eating habits. I am able to eat up to one thousand lifeforms, but not in a single bite.”

Ballock’s balls he was reading my mind.If so, how was that even possible?“That’s…uh…interesting. How do they all fit?”

“Does it matter?”A tentacle flicked out and stroked the mark Zosia had just given me.

It took everything I had not to flinch. “No. Do you like my tattoo?”

“Very.”His tentacle kept stroking me.“My clever Consort made you a member of her Uchahe sect.”

“Yes, she did. I’m her hunter.”

“Then it is only right that I add you to my sect.”Another tentacle wrapped tightly around my left arm.

“No! That’s not necessary.”I tried to break Qa’a’s grip. “I mean it’s a great honor, but not essential to our investigation.”

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